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Heat forces yodelers at annual Swiss festival to sing in fountains
Around 12,000 performers used city fountains to rehearse and cool off as Basel hosted Switzerland’s national yodeling festival in record heat.
From Friday, Basel hosted the Swiss Jodlerfest, attracting nearly 200,000 visitors and 12,000 performers amid record temperatures of 39 degrees Celsius .
This national gathering marked the first time the City hosted the event since 1924, following Swiss yodeling's addition to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2025.
Competitors displayed skills in yodeling, flag-throwing, and playing the Alphorn, a wooden instrument stretching more than 3 meters . In Petersplatz, seamstresses repaired traditional Alpine costumes as bands cooled off in fountains.
Jodlerklub Balfrin from Visp celebrated after receiving a perfect score on Sunday morning, while Jodlerklub Muttenz rode past on a tractor during the closing parade to cheers from the crowd.
Unlike the melodic style in Austria and the Tyrol region, Swiss yodeling remains a slower, melancholic tradition. Freddie Conquer, a New Zealand-Swiss-Kiwi club member, said the festival helps participants "stay connected to Swiss culture.
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The World and Everything In It discuss Switzerland’s heatwave-defying yodeling festival in Basel, with rehearsals in fountains and traditional events continuing despite the sweltering temperatures.