Morgenstreich

10 March 2025, 4.00 am

The Carnival in Basel starts at 4.00 am on the Monday after Ash Wednesday. Upon the fourth chime of St Martin’s church, all the lights go off in the inner city. At the drum majors’ command of “Morgestraich: vorwärts, marsch!”, the alleys and the streets spring to life with the sound of hundreds of piccolos and drums. All the cliques* open with the Morgestraich, a very traditional and archaic marching tune, which is only played on this occasion. The only light in the blacked-out streets comes from the myriad of lanterns that accompany the pipers and drummers, alighting the faces of thousands of spectators from all over the world who want to experience this magical moment.

The Morgenstreich is busiest on Barfüsserplatz, the Marktplatz, Rümelinsplatz, Falknerstrasse and Freie Strasse. If you’d rather avoid the main hurly-burly, you can also enjoy the Morgenstreich on Leonhardskirchplatz, Martinskirchplatz, Nadelberg or Münsterplatz, for example.

10 and 12 March 2025, 1.30–6.00 pm

The large street parade called cortège takes place on Monday and Wednesday afternoon. Around 10,000 costumed Carnival revellers in formations of various sizes present their sujets (themes). Unlike the Morgestraich, the cortège is an event for all Fasnacht formations:

• Floats
• “Gugge” (brass music that plays pieces of music from popular hits, pop and jazz with percussion and rhythm instruments as well as brass instruments)
• “Ainzelmasgge” (individual maskers)
• Large and small cliques (all groups participating in the Carnival)
• Groups
• Horse-drawn carriages (chaises)

In some cases, a formation’s sujet is already recognizable from a distance – namely on the large lantern that precedes each traditional clique. The sujet is also represented and reflected in the head-masks (Larve), costumes, and props (Requisiten). Behind the lantern and the so-called “Vortrab” (vanguard) come the pipers, the drum major and the drummers. Some of the large floats and props (Requisiten) that feature in the cortège can be admired at the Kaserne where they are on display throughout the day on Tuesday.

The parade follows a set route through the city centre:

Lantern exhibition

10 to 12 March 2025

After the parade on Monday afternoon, the cliques display their elaborately designed lanterns on the Münsterplatz. Featuring the visualized sujets, the lanterns reveal their true magic after dark when they are lit for the first time after the Morgestraich. They come in many forms and styles. Some bear the unmistakable signature of regular artists, others are painted by laymen and -women. Today, new techniques and innovative materials are being employed increasingly. What once began with caricatures of well-known Basel politicians and personalities has over the last decades developed into a true art historical digest.

Kinderfasnacht

11 March 2025

On Tuesday afternoon, the city centre is again caught up in the hustle and bustle of Fasnacht. In small groups, “Binggis” (children) accompanied by their parents, grandparents and other adults practise these traditions. Dressed in imaginative costumes and equipped with drums, musical instruments and small handcarts, they roam the streets, distribute “Zeedel” (witty leaflets they wrote themselves) and “Dääfeli” (sweets), and the spectators with “Räppli” (confetti). In turn, adults, too, make use of the day to celebrate Carnival unconstrained by the strict schedule of the cortège, in loose formations and wearing their favourite personal mask and costume.

Guggenkonzert

11 March 2025

On Tuesday evening, the town is in the hands of the Guggenmusik bands. A part of the roughly 60 brass bands equipped with ear-shattering trumpets, trombones, tubas, drums, kettledrums, and cymbals convene at Exhibition Square around 6.30 pm. From there they parade through Clarastrasse towards the city centre and the three large squares (Barfüsserplatz, Marktplatz, and Claraplatz) where they perform on specially erected stages. The popular and eagerly awaited Gugge concerts are staged between 7.30 and 11.00 pm but most of the bands also play before and after the main event in restaurants and on squares across town. On this evening, the piper and drummers give way to the Guggenmusik bands and retreat to the small alleys away from the main streets and squares.

Schnitzelbanks

10 to 12 March 2025

One of the most salient features of the Basel Fasnacht are the so-called Schnitzelbanks. The satirical rhyming songs are regarded as the epitome of carnival humour. The Schnitzelbank singers, who usually also write the songs, comment on political and social events that occurred over the last year in elegantly rhymed and witty verses, usually spiced up with a sound portion of satire and a pinch of humorous malice. Schnitzelbank singers perform in restaurants and theatres on Monday and Wednesday evening, on Tuesday evening also in clique cellars (where the cliques practise) and private houses. Just as important as the songs are the illustrations that go with them, the so-called “Helgen”; each song comes with its own picture which is held up to the audience. A good illustration provides hints to the song’s theme, but without disclosing the punchline.

13 March 2025

Before the loveliest three days of the year come to an end with the “Endstreich” –the close of the Carnival – Fasnacht activity is ratcheted up a notch on Wednesday evening. The active participants go all out after midnight and enjoy this additional Carnival highlight to the fullest. Then, just before 4 am on Thursday morning, the cliques and Gugge groups proceed to one of their regular meeting places and play a final march or other piece of music to mark the end of the Carnival. They then take their leave and begin looking forward to the next Fasnacht.

The cliques get to bang their drums, play their pipes and make an almighty noise again on the three Sundays following the Carnival. The Sunday marches – a Carnival tradition – give revellers a chance to parade through the city centre with their drums and pipes, but without their costumes and masks, filling the streets with the sounds of the Carnival once more.

The Sunday marches take place on 16, 23 and 30 March 2025.