OpenAir St.Gallen
OpenAir St.Gallen is Switzerland's oldest continuously operating open-air music festival (since 1977), held annually in St. Gallen and serving approximately 30,000 attendees over four days across 8 stages with cashless wristband payments, integrated camping, and free public transport.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1977
- HeadquartersScherzingen, Switzerland
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What OpenAir St.Gallen does
OpenAir St.Gallen is Switzerland's oldest continuously operating open-air music festival, founded in 1977 by Freddi 'Gagi' Geiger and held annually in the Sittertobel natural valley near St. Gallen. The four-day event (Thursday-Sunday) accommodates approximately 30,000 attendees across 8 stages — from the 25,000-capacity Sitterbühne main stage to the 5,000-capacity Sternenbühne tent stage, the 800-1,000-capacity INTRO stage for emerging artists, and electronic, acoustic, club, and design areas. Operated by OpenAir St.Gallen AG under the Gadget Entertainment Group AG holding, the festival runs on a lean permanent staff of approximately 6 supported by 20 area managers, 80+ department heads, and 3,500-4,000 volunteers per edition. The festival became the first climate-neutral Swiss open-air festival in 2019 and has held the YOUROPE Green'n'Clean certification continuously since 2007.
The core product is a multi-day festival ticket (CHF 269 for a 4-day Fan Ticket) granting access to all stages, integrated camping, and free public transport in SBB zones 210/211 via a partnership with Swiss Federal Railways. The festival operates mandatory cashless payments through chip-equipped wristbands (Intellipay integration) for all on-site food, beverage, and merchandise transactions. Supporting products include VIP/hospitality packages with brunch add-ons, comfort camping via niuway, Lotus Belle glamping tents, an official mobile app, year-round merchandise via openairsg.shop, a foodie tasting pass, guided festival tours, and festival lockers.
Revenue is generated across multiple streams: ticket sales (multi-day passes, 50% youth discount for year groups 2010-2013, free entry for children born 2014 or later), food and beverage commissions from 50+ vendor stands, VIP/hospitality premium packages, merchandise, parking (CHF 20-80), and a layered sponsorship stack anchored by presenting partner ALDI SUISSE plus major partners Schützengarten, SGKB, Coca-Cola, SBB, SRF, Swissmilk, and Zweifel. The festival also incorporates a CHF 3 voluntary climate contribution per ticket directed to myclimate projects.
OpenAir St.Gallen firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- OpenAir St.Gallen
- Legal name
- OpenAir St.Gallen AG
- Website
- https://openairsg.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1977
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- OpenAir St.Gallen is Switzerland's oldest continuously operating open-air music festival (since 1977), held annually in St. Gallen and serving approximately 30,000 attendees over four days across 8 stages with cashless wristband payments, integrated camping, and free public transport.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
OpenAir St.Gallen industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Music Festival Events
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320), All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (71399)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Festival & Event Producers/Organizers (MPAIAFAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cultural & Community Festivals (Ticketed) (THAJAFAI), Fan Engagement & Onsite Technology (RFID, Cashless, Apps) (MPAGAAAL)
Keywords
Where OpenAir St.Gallen is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Scherzingen
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
OpenAir St.Gallen business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: The festival sells multi-day festival passes (4-day, 3-day, 2-day, 1-day passes) and VIP upgrade packages. Ticket categories include Fan Ticket (CHF 269 for 4-day pass), VIP tickets with hospitality upgrades, and Youth Tickets at 50% discount for year groups 2010-2013. Children born 2014 and younger enter free with an adult.
- Food & Beverage Sales: Over 50 food and beverage stands operated by third-party vendors across the festival grounds. All transactions are cashless via festival wristband. The festival takes a commission or rental fee from vendors. Key partners include ALDI SUISSE Festival Shop, and numerous independent food operators.
- Hospitality & VIP Packages: VIP tickets include dedicated entrance, access to VIP area with bar and food stations, terrace with stage view, VIP toilets, VIP shuttle, and access to lockers. Additional paid add-ons include Classic Brunch, Prosecco Brunch, and Anti Kater Brunch packages. Festival tours are also offered via hospitality team.
- Home Delivery Service: Pre-ordered beverages (mineral water in 6-packs, beer in 24-packs) can be pre-ordered and collected at the ALDI SUISSE Festival Shop on-site. Deposits apply and are refunded upon return.
- Merchandise Sales: Festival merchandise including hoodies, shirts, caps, and artist-specific merchandise sold via on-site shop (central location on main street between stages) and year-round online shop at openairsg.shop.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | 4-Day Fan Ticket Pass |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Youth Ticket (50% discount) |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | VIP Ticket Upgrade |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Festival Parking (Breitfeld) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Camping / Zeltdepot |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Comfort Camping (niuway) |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Brunch Packages (Sunday) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Day Dance Shower |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
OpenAir St.Gallen product offering
Product offeringCore offering
OpenAir St.Gallen organizes and operates a four-day outdoor multi-stage music festival held annually in the Sittertobel valley near St. Gallen, Switzerland, hosting approximately 30,000 attendees across 8 stage areas (Sitterbühne, Sternenbühne, Intro, Day Dance, Plaza, Campo, Freedom Music, Design Village). The core product is the multi-day festival ticket (Fan Ticket CHF 269 for 4-day pass) with integrated camping, complemented by VIP/hospitality packages, glamping options (niuway Comfort Camping, Lotus Belle tents), cashless wristband payments, festival merchandise, food and beverage from 50+ vendor stands, and supporting services such as shuttle buses and festival lockers.
Product overview
OpenAir St.Gallen is a four-day music festival (Thursday through Sunday) held annually at the Sittertobel venue near St.Gallen, Switzerland. The festival operates as a temporary city accommodating approximately 30,000 visitors with 8 distinct stage areas: the main Sitterbühne (capacity 25,000), Sternenbühne tent stage (5,000 capacity), Intro tent stage (800-1,000 capacity, focused on emerging artists), Day Dance electronic stage by the river, Plaza food and culture area, Campo acoustic singer-songwriter stage, Freedom Music club venue, and Design Village for Swiss designers. The core product is the festival ticket granting multi-day access to all areas and camping. Ancillary products include VIP Hospitality packages with terrace viewing and brunch options, Comfort Camping via niuway, pre-bookable Lotus Belle glamping tents, and Festival Merchandise. Supporting services encompass a Cashless Payment System (wristband-based), Mobile App for schedules and maps, Foodie Pass tasting option, ALDI Festival Shop, Home Delivery Service for beverages, Shuttle Bus transport, Guided Tours of festival infrastructure, and Festival Lockers. The festival is organized by OpenAir St.Gallen AG under the Gadget Entertainment Group umbrella.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Festival Tickets (4-day, 3-day, 2-day, 1-day Fan Passes) Multi-day festival passes granting access to all 8 festival stage areas, integrated camping, free shuttle bus, and free public transport in zones 210/211. Includes Fan Ticket (CHF 269 for 4-day pass), VIP ticket upgrades, and Youth Tickets at 50% discount for year groups 2010-2013. Children born 2014 or younger enter free with an accompanying adult. Sold via the official ticket-onlineshop portal and the Welcome Desk at Bahnhof Nord.
- OpenAir St.Gallen Festival App Official iOS and Android mobile application for festival attendees, providing real-time updates, personal timetable creation, food stand information, venue maps, and partner information. Available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Quantifiable outcome
- 90% tent return rate (2022 Zeltdepot program)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use OpenAir St.Gallen
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
OpenAir St.Gallen technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature1 record
OpenAir St.Gallen partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- ALDI SUISSEcoreALDI SUISSE is the Presenting Partner of OpenAir St.Gallen. They operate the ALDI SUISSE Festival Shop on the festival grounds (selling drinks, food, camping supplies, baked goods) and provide free drinking water stations across the site. They sponsor the Home Delivery Service for pre-ordered beverages and have been a partner since at least 2019.
- SchützengartenmajorMain partner of the festival. Schützengarten (Swiss brewery) likely provides beverages and may have branding presence.
- St. Galler Kantonalbank (SGKB)majorMain partner and co-presenter of the SGKB Lounge at the Campo stage area. SGKB provides banking services and co-branded festival experiences.
- Coca-ColamajorCo-partner of the festival. Coca-Cola sponsors separation stations (Trennstationen) for waste recycling on the festival grounds in a partnership aimed at improving sustainability.
- SBB (Swiss Federal Railways)majorSBB provides subsidized and free public transport for festival-goers. Since 2024, travel to/from St. Gallen is free with the festival ticket (full discount on both directions). The festival ticket includes free travel in Ostwind zones 210/211.
- myclimatecoremyclimate is the festival's climate partner since 2016, providing carbon footprint analysis and supporting the festival's climate neutrality. They co-developed the sustainability strategy, analyzed the food & beverage area in 2016, and manage the festival's CO2 compensation through projects in Switzerland, Nicaragua, and Uganda. Since 2020, a voluntary 3rd climate contribution of CHF 3 is added to each ticket.
- SwissmilkminorCo-partner providing the Swissmilk Milchbar (milk bar) on the festival grounds, serving frozen yogurt, milk drinks, and festival supplies.
- Zweifel ChipsminorSwiss snack chip brand as co-partner of the festival.
- Senn Resources AGminorSupported the 2022 new sanitary concept that reduced water usage by up to 90% through modern vacuum technology installations.
- OatlyminorSwedish oat milk brand as co-partner, likely providing plant-based beverage options at the festival.
- StarzoneminorMain partner of the festival, providing ear plug solutions for hearing protection.
- YOUROPEcoreEuropean Festival Association. OASG has been a member and awarded Green'n'Clean since 2007. OASG participates in the Take A Stand campaign initiated by YOUROPE. YOUROPE represents European festivals and promotes best practices in sustainability and social responsibility.
- Stiftung CerebralminorFoundation provides elevated accessible tribunes at both the Sitterbühne and Sternenbühne for wheelchair users. OASG collaborates with Stiftung Cerebral and Herold Taxi to provide free taxi rides for mobility-impaired guests.
- TarzanminorPartner supplying all merchandise and crew shirts made from GOTS-certified organic cotton for the festival's sustainable merchandising.
- Gadget Entertainment Group (parent company)coreOpenAir St.Gallen AG is a festival under Gadget Entertainment Group, which provides the organizational infrastructure. Gadget covers Live-Entertainment, Festivals, Artist Management, Event Management, Hospitality, and Brand Partnerships. Compliance managed via CTS EVENTIM hint system.
- Chimpy (Powerbank Rental)minorChimpy provides power bank rental stations at the festival, allowing attendees to borrow a power bank and charge their phones on the go via the Chimpy app.
- HelvetiarocktminorSwiss nationwide association promoting gender equality in music. OASG partners with Helvetiarockt to run walk-in beatmaking workshops at the festival for women, inter, non-binary, trans, and agender people, providing low-threshold access to music creation.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
OpenAir St.Gallen competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Paléo Festival Nyon: Switzerland's largest open-air music festival held annually in Nyon with multi-stage programming, ~250,000 capacity over multiple days, and similar 4-day festival + camping model directly comparable to OpenAir St.Gallen.
- Gurtenfestival: Annual Swiss outdoor music festival held on the Gurten hill near Bern with multi-stage programming and similar mid-tier (~25,000) capacity, the closest direct geographic and scale comparable to OpenAir St.Gallen.
- Heitere Open Air: Swiss open-air music festival held in Zofingen with similar multi-stage programming, Swiss-headline-driven lineup, and comparable camping-friendly outdoor experience model.
- Openair Frauenfeld: Switzerland's largest hip-hop and urban music open-air festival; shares the Swiss multi-stage outdoor event format with camping and cashless on-site infrastructure comparable to OpenAir St.Gallen.
- Rock Werchter: Belgian multi-day open-air music festival with comparable international headliner programming, multi-stage setup, and camping, directly comparable in scale and format to OpenAir St.Gallen.
- Pukkelpop: Belgian multi-stage outdoor music and dance festival with similar international line-up, camping, and cashless on-site infrastructure over a multi-day run comparable to OpenAir St.Gallen.
- Hellfest: Major French multi-stage open-air festival with comparable international headliner programming, camping, and large-scale temporary "city" infrastructure model similar to OpenAir St.Gallen.
Broad incumbents
- Sziget Festival: Hungarian week-long multi-stage open-air festival on an island in Budapest, larger in scale and duration, with a comparable broad-genre programming model and on-site cashless / mobile infrastructure.
- Roskilde Festival: Large Danish non-profit multi-stage music festival comparable in format and legacy to OpenAir St.Gallen, but materially larger in scale (~130,000) and with a broader Nordic and pan-European audience.
- Tomorrowland: Belgian mega-festival focused on electronic/dance music with comparable on-site cashless wristband technology, camping, and temporary-city infrastructure; comparable in operational model but distinct in genre focus and global scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
OpenAir St.Gallen social profiles
Digital presenceOpenAir St.Gallen compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
OpenAir St.Gallen financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
OpenAir St.Gallen leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
OpenAir St.Gallen funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
OpenAir St.Gallen M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about OpenAir St.Gallen
What does OpenAir St.Gallen do?
OpenAir St.Gallen organizes and operates a four-day outdoor multi-stage music festival held annually in the Sittertobel valley near St. Gallen, Switzerland, hosting approximately 30,000 attendees across 8 stage areas (Sitterbühne, Sternenbühne, Intro, Day Dance, Plaza, Campo, Freedom Music, Design Village). The core product is the multi-day festival ticket (Fan Ticket CHF 269 for 4-day pass) with integrated camping, complemented by VIP/hospitality packages, glamping options (niuway Comfort Camping, Lotus Belle tents), cashless wristband payments, festival merchandise, food and beverage from 50+ vendor stands, and supporting services such as shuttle buses and festival lockers.
Is OpenAir St.Gallen a public or private company?
OpenAir St.Gallen is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was OpenAir St.Gallen founded?
OpenAir St.Gallen was founded in 1977. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is OpenAir St.Gallen based?
OpenAir St.Gallen is headquartered in Scherzingen, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does OpenAir St.Gallen make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are food & Beverage Sales, hospitality & VIP Packages, home Delivery Service and merchandise Sales.
Who are OpenAir St.Gallen's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Paléo Festival Nyon, Gurtenfestival, Heitere Open Air, Openair Frauenfeld, Rock Werchter, Pukkelpop and Hellfest. Broad incumbents are Sziget Festival, Roskilde Festival and Tomorrowland.
Does OpenAir St.Gallen have an API?
No public API is recorded for OpenAir St.Gallen.
What industry is OpenAir St.Gallen in?
OpenAir St.Gallen's product category is Live Music Festival Events. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAFAC, Festival & Event Producers/Organizers, with a secondary code of THAJAFAI, Cultural & Community Festivals (Ticketed). Its NAICS code is 711310 and its SIC code is 7990.