Villains Ball After Party

Ballroom is a Black and Latinx LGBTQIAP+ cultural movement born out of resistance with a long history of artistic excellence, resilience, and community care, and it continues to play a vital role in contemporary cultural and social discourse. The global impact of Ballroom can be felt by Madonna’s Vogue and Beyoncé’s Renaissance and by the global network that runs worldwide. The Villains Lair is the official after party for the Villains Ball, the first ever major ball in the German speaking region of Switzerland, gathering legends and stars from both the local and international ballroom scene. Line-up: 00:00 - 01:30 Sirenessa 01:30 - 01:40 Yagaga 01:40 - 03:30 Seven Angels 03:30 - End HAUSVRAU

Disk Jockey

Discovery Zone

Blanche Biau

Blanche Biau is the project of the audio-visual artist Aurelia Kapfer, based in Zurich. Initiated in 2019 as part of an application to art school, the project quickly evolved beyond its academic origins into a fully developed musical practice. Working with a strong DIY ethos, Kapfer writes, produces, and performs her music independently, often also designing the visual identity of the project. Her sound draws heavily from 1980s wave, post-punk, and 1990s shoegaze and trip-hop, blending nostalgic textures with a contemporary sensibility. The result is a melancholic yet immersive sound, characterized by atmospheric layers, driving rhythms, and emotionally direct songwriting. Since its inception, Blanche Biau has grown into a notable presence within the European alternative music scene. The project has released two full-length records, Maraudé (2021) and Heartcore (2025), which further established its signature sound and led to wider recognition. Alongside its recorded output, Blanche Biau has developed a significant live presence, performing extensively across Europe over the last 5 years. The project is also embedded in a wider network of contemporary Swiss music, with Kapfer participating in other bands and collaborations within the scene.

Discovery Zone is the experimental pop project of New York musician and multimedia artist JJ Weihl. After the slow-building but undeniable fervor around her debut album Remote Control, Discovery Zone released her second album Quantum Web on RVNG Intl. and Mansions and Millions in 2024. On the album Discovery Zone plunged into an uncanny valley, where the distinctions between the earnest and the ironic blur in tandem with the human and the post-human. On stage, Discovery Zone explores a widescreen pop sound speckled with luminous vocal performances and baroque instrumental flourishes. She utilizes a laboratory of instruments and 3D visuals to explore the universe as a source of information. New Discovery Zone music is set to arrive in the first half of 2026.

Chrigi G. us Z.

Warm Up & Cool Down

Chrigi G. us Z. has been collecting music for a long time. Almost pathologically, actually. With GDS.FM, he has now found a way to make this music accessible. He puts together suitable playlists every day in the program. In the live shows, he invites guests and presents the latest discoveries. Finally, he presents his favorites mixed in clubs and bars or at festivals.

Multiinstrumentalist

Espuma Antigua

The Espuma Antigua quartet blends past and present into music that lifts you up. Their aim is to bring old and new into dialogue within a gentle, electronic mix, thereby retelling melodies in a fresh way. Their sound is poetic, intimate and full of quiet magic – like stories told on a balmy summer’s night.

HOLD

The trio HOLD explores improvised soundscapes that bridge the worlds of jazz, noise and electronic music. Their sound is a blend of melody, noise and surprise. It embodies uncompromising spirit, freedom and originality. Their concerts are unique and always entirely improvised. It is music that emerges in the here and now – fleeting yet intense.

Flute

Vocals

Guitar

Cello

Drum Kit

Joëlle Léandre Solo

Jurykonzert

The French bassist, influenced by contemporary jazz and classical music, is one of the leading figures in the world of improvisational music. Over the course of her career, she has revolutionised double bass playing from the ground up. With just four strings and her voice, she manages to bring the character of an entire ensemble to life on stage. 

Lucia Cadotsch & Jozef Dumoulin

Singer Lucia Cadotsch and pianist Jozef Dumoulin take their close collaboration in AKI to the next level with this new duo. The two engage in an intimate dialogue between voice and piano. Drawing on Cadotsch’s songbook, they create a dreamlike soundscape full of depth, subtle nuances and fresh perspectives on familiar melodies, brimming with poetry and intensity.

Kontrabass

Bağlama

JazzBaragge Wednesday Jam

SPECIAL: ZKB Jazzpreis @ JazzBaragge

The JazzBaragge Wednesday Jam offers an important platform for the Swiss jazz jam scene. After the musical opening of the jam band, lively and exciting sound conversations begin between musicians who spontaneously meet on stage, reflecting the diversity of jazz in all its facets. The JazzBaragge Wednesday Jam is supported by the non-profit association JazzBaragge. There is no presale for JazzBaragge, only box office.

Piano

muralim

For muralim, music is something that speaks to the heart and the gut. It’s about freedom and those moments when you forget everything and can simply be in the present. Their melodies are catchy yet sophisticated, and the grooves invite you to tap your feet. The whole thing is carried by their joy of playing and their energy. The result is music that’s almost impossible to resist.

Saxophon

Composition

Bass

Percussion

Driftwood Quartet

The Driftwood Quartet moves with playful ease between contemporary jazz and alternative rock. In their music, delicate passages build into powerful sounds, contrasted by edgy riffs. Catchy melodies blend with experimental structures. Throughout, the band remains curious, dynamic and full of surprises.

Ulysse Loup Large Ensemble

At once stormy and serene, bassist and composer Ulysse Loup blends contemporary jazz with poetic depth. His ten-piece ensemble guides the listener through organic and mechanical soundscapes: two drum kits pulse, basses rumble, wind instruments call out, and a voice narrates. Music that feels like a journey between longing, vastness and an inner awakening.

Rufus D

Rhythm, loops and morphing patterns: this is the world of Rufus D. Their constantly driving sound unfolds somewhere between post-rock and experimental music. Slowly building structures give way to unexpected breaks, at times lyrically soaring, at others powerful and raw. Beats, loops and guitars merge into a mix that thickens, becomes overdriven and finally fades away into the room.

Trumpet

Flugelhorn

Trombone

E-Bass

Paolo Fresu & Rita Marcotulli

Italienisches Kulturinstitut presents

When two of the most influential figures in European jazz collaborate, the result is music that is deeply moving, elegant and emotional. Paolo Fresu and Rita Marcotulli&#x27;s duo blends Mediterranean timbres with subtle improvisational artistry and exceptional musical sensitivity. Using trumpet, flugelhorn, piano and subtle electronics, the two artists engage in an atmospheric dialogue between jazz, contemporary music and poetic soundscapes. They perform both intimately and acoustically and dazzlingly and surprisingly. Throughout, they embody a great musical openness and a shared sense of beauty in the details. Paolo Fresu has been one of Europe’s leading jazz musicians for decades, captivating audiences worldwide with his unmistakable sound. Rita Marcotulli is one of Italy’s most notable pianists, renowned for her lyrical style and versatility. Together, they promise a concert full of warmth, sophistication, and magical moments. Their music is both moving and resonant. In collaboration with the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Zurigo.

Saisoneröffnung

Müslüm und Band

The king of immigrant pop is in full swing, accompanied by a mind-blowing entourage. He is a cult phenomenon: his &#x27;Süpervitamin&#x27; is the nation&#x27;s only legal drug and gets everyone moving without limits. His voice strikes right at the heart and his hip-swing unleashes explosive &#x27;Swissteria&#x27;. His eyebrows have grown together out of love, becoming one, and his atomic charisma draws his audience together too, celebrating pure existence. Chest puffed out, he defies these spiritless times, drawing from the richest of sources in a tribute to unfiltered existence. Uncompromising. Generous. Clear and refreshing like Swiss spring water. Those who feel it are already there, and what &#x27;it&#x27; is doesn&#x27;t matter, only that &#x27;it&#x27; exists. Follow the call of your heart. Be part of his relentless practice, regardless of theories. Are you still thinking, or are you already living?

Levitation (Stefan Rusconi & Tobias Preisig)

Kulturmarkt & Moods present Album Release «Palimpsest»

Pre-sale has ended; there are a few tickets available at the box office. Exactly 10 years ago, Swiss musicians Tobias Preisig (violin) and Stefan Rusconi (church organ) released their album “LEVITATION”: an intense sonic journey into higher realms, which was performed live in 2018 during the summer festival at Kampnagel in Hamburg. In February, the two multi-award-winning musicians returned to St. Gertrud Church for several days to record their second album, “Palimpsest,” live. The result is seven pieces that, through a subtly pulsating dialogue between church organ, violin, and electronics, make the weightlessness implied by the project’s name, “LEVITATION,” almost physically tangible. It is music with a transcendental dimension—and a preliminary highlight of an impressive artistic body of work. For Tobias Preisig, this includes the club duo Egopusher, solo albums, film scores, and collaborations with The Cinematic Orchestra and Colin Stetson. Stefan Rusconi’s work, in turn, ranges from the soundtrack to the Keith Jarrett film “Köln 75” to live compositions for choreographer Meg Stuart and studio albums that have won the Jazz Echo award. The album release will take place in collaboration with the Kulturmarkt at the Zwinglihaus, located at Aemtlerstrasse 23. Concert location: Zwinglihaus, Aemtlerstrasse 23, 8003 Zürich

Orgel

Violin

Buzz (Boss Hi-Fi)

Warm Up & Afterparty

BUZZ needs no introduction. 16 Tons: fantastic records, beautiful furniture. Boss Hi-Fi: best reggae DJs He will play one of his fantastic cumbia sets after Sonido Gallo Negro. ¡Fuego!

Since 2017, we have been streaming some of the concerts and enabling the musicians to earn additional income - 70% of the subscription revenue goes directly to the musicians. With a subscription you get access to over 600 concerts and help to keep this project running.

Streaming

Over 700 video-on-demand and 40 live streams per year from jazz, global, blues, funk, soul and rap await you. Curated with playlists and recommendations from our program team. In addition, 70% of the subscription revenue goes directly to the musicians. With a subscription you support the artists and this project.

ZKB Jazzpreis Festival

Espuma Antigua

Driftwood Quartet