Caprices Festival Moves to Gstaad: New Alpine Home for 2026
Industry Brief
After 23 years at Crans-Montana, Switzerland's premier mountaintop electronic music festival is relocating to Eggli in Gstaad for 2026, bringing a redesigned three-stage concept and heavyweight lineup including Ricardo Villalobos and DVS1 to a new alpine panorama.
After 23 editions in Crans-Montana, Caprices Festival is making a permanent move to Eggli mountain above Gstaad in the Bernese Oberland. The relocation marks one of the most significant shifts in the festival's history, taking the event from its longstanding Valais home to a new alpine setting. The decision follows a three-day showcase event held in Gstaad in September 2025, which allowed organizers to test the venue's capabilities and infrastructure citation needed. That trial run apparently provided enough confidence to commit to the move for the festival's main winter edition. For 2026, Caprices will run across two weekends: March 13-15 and March 20-22. This split format represents a departure from the festival's traditional single-weekend structure citation needed. According to organizers, the Eggli location offers several practical advantages over the previous site: - Improved accessibility for attendees and artists - Enhanced logistical infrastructure - Better site flow and crowd management Despite these changes, the festival maintains its commitment to the intimate, high-altitude experience that has defined its identity since its inception citation needed. The new venue sits at a comparable elevation, preserving the distinctive alpine atmosphere that has become synonymous with the Caprices brand.
The move to Gstaad's Eggli mountain site brings a complete reimagining of Caprices' physical infrastructure. The festival will feature three purpose-built glasshouse stages, expanding from its previous configuration to accommodate multiple simultaneous performances. Each structure maintains the festival's signature transparent architecture, which has become synonymous with the Caprices brand since its inception. The glass-enclosed venues allow natural light to flood the spaces during daytime sets while protecting attendees from alpine weather conditions. Strategic positioning across the Eggli site ensures each stage captures 360° views of the surrounding peaks citation needed. This layout serves dual purposes: it preserves the mountain environment as the festival's defining visual element while creating natural separation between performance areas. The three-stage setup gives programmers greater flexibility in scheduling. Artists can perform simultaneously without sound bleed issues, while attendees can move between venues based on musical preference rather than being confined to a single main stage. Festival organizers designed the site plan to improve crowd circulation, addressing capacity management challenges that often affect mountain-based events citation needed. The distributed layout prevents bottlenecks while maintaining the intimate atmosphere that distinguishes Caprices from larger European festivals.
The festival has secured Ricardo Villalobos as a headline act, bringing the Chilean-German selector's signature extended sets to the alpine environment. Villalobos, whose marathon performances have defined minimal techno's aesthetic for two decades, represents the booking coup organizers needed to establish credibility in their new location. DVS1 joins the bill with his uncompromising approach to underground techno. The Minneapolis-based artist's reputation for reading rooms and building tension through extended journeys aligns with Caprices' focus on substance over spectacle. The first wave also includes: - Sonja Moonear, the Swiss selector known for genre-fluid sets spanning house and techno - Additional first-wave artists - citation needed This initial roster signals the festival's commitment to its house and techno foundations despite the venue change. The names carry weight with industry professionals and dedicated enthusiasts rather than chasing mainstream crossover appeal. Festival organizers have confirmed additional artist announcements will roll out in phases ahead of the March 2026 dates citation needed. The staggered reveal strategy allows them to maintain momentum while finalizing contracts for the relocated event.
Caprices has carved out a unique position on the European festival circuit by owning the March calendar slot when most major events don't launch until May. This early-season timing gives the festival leverage with booking agents and offers artists a high-profile warm-up before the summer marathon begins. Switzerland's political neutrality extends to its cultural scene. The country's visa policies and central European location make it accessible for artists and industry professionals who might face complications entering other territories. This matters increasingly as geopolitical tensions affect touring logistics citation needed. The alpine format also fills a specific niche. While Dekmantel and Awakenings dominate summer fields and fabric anchors the club circuit, mountain festivals like Caprices offer distinct programming opportunities—longer sunrise sets, acoustic considerations, and audience demographics that skew toward industry insiders rather than casual festivalgoers. The Gstaad relocation serves as a test case for festival resilience. Few heritage events successfully change locations without losing identity or audience citation needed. How Caprices manages this transition will inform other festivals considering similar moves. For Crans-Montana's tourism sector, losing Caprices after 18 years represents a significant gap in their spring shoulder season programming and international visibility.
Why It Matters
Festival announcements like this shape the touring circuit and give artists and fans clarity on upcoming events. For the electronic music community, these gatherings remain crucial for networking and discovering new sounds.
