Sierre Blues Festival

What Sierre Blues Festival does

The Sierre Blues Festival is an annual three-day open-air blues, soul, and rock festival held at Plaine Bellevue in Sierre, Switzerland, founded in 2008/2009 and currently in its 17th edition (2026), with the 18th scheduled for June 17–19, 2027. The festival is organised by a committee led by President Silvio Caldelari, supported by 11–50 staff and a recurring volunteer base, and is structured as a community association rather than a venture-backed operator. Programming spans Thursday through Saturday with international headliners, Swiss and European blues artists, and an emerging-talent showcase; past and upcoming bookings include ZZ Top (2017), Zucchero (2022), Bryan Adams (2025, now Ambassador), Dogstar/Keanu Reeves (2026), Fantastic Negrito (2026), and Swiss Blues Challenge / European Blues Challenge winners, supported by an eight-person Ambassador programme and European Blues Union membership.

The core product portfolio comprises the festival itself, the Club des Amis membership (CHF 499/year for VIP access and transferable tickets), the Sierre Blues' Kids youth choir and blues camp (originating as "Blues in School" in 2010), the Blues en Ville national edition launched in 2021, and a sustainability programme anchored by the Fiesta Label and an eco-charter. Commercial infrastructure includes a Ticketmaster Suisse sole-distribution ticketing partnership, a Raiffeisen-powered cashless wristband system via JM Contactless, tiered Platinum/Gold/Silver/Bronze corporate sponsorships, and recurring Club des Amis memberships.

Revenue is generated through three streams: one-time ticket and festival pass sales priced in three tiers (Earlybird/Presale/Door) with the Friday headliner evening commanding CHF 99–130, an annual Club des Amis subscription at CHF 499, and transaction-fee cashless on-site spending via Raiffeisen wristbands, supplemented by tiered corporate sponsorship (Valaisanne Platinum; Gold tier including Le Crans, Le Gruyère, Maison Gilliard, Martinetti, Poste) and public support from Ville de Sierre, Canton du Valais, Bourgeoisie de Sierre, Loterie Romande, and Valais Tourisme. Distribution relies on the festival website (sierreblues.ch), email newsletter, social media, and earned media through media partners (Blick, Le Nouvelliste, Rhône FM), with marketing amplified by Ambassador advocacy.

Name

Sierre Blues Festival

Legal name

Sierre Blues Festival

Website

https://sierreblues.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sierre Blues Festival is a Swiss association that organises an annual three-day open-air blues, soul, and rock festival at Plaine Bellevue in Sierre, serving local Valais audiences and international visitors through tiered ticketing, the Club des Amis membership, and a network of artists and corporate sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Music Festival

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Festival & Event Producers/Organizers (MPAIAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Music Festival Organizers & Promoters (MPAGAAAB)

Keywords

• Live music festival
• Blues music events
• Open-air concerts
• Ticketed festival passes
• Cashless event payments

Headquarters

HQ city

Sierre

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket and Pass Sales: The primary revenue stream comes from selling individual day tickets and multi-night festival passes for the three-day event (Thursday, Friday, Saturday). Pricing follows three tiers: Earlybird (pre-sale window before December 31), Presale (January 1 to festival opening), and Door (walk-up pricing at the venue). Friday commands a significantly higher price than Thursday and Saturday due to its headliner lineup. Service fees of up to CHF 2.50 per ticket apply.
2. Club des Amis Membership: Annual membership program priced at CHF 499 per year, offering 2 transferable tickets per evening with VIP access to the Blues Garden and Lounge Bar, complimentary welcome aperitif, invitation to the launch event and program presentation, and additional invitations to partner events throughout the year.
3. Cashless On-Site Spending: Festival attendees load value onto Raiffeisen wristbands (cashless payment system) to purchase food, beverages, and other items at on-site stands and bars. A one-time fee of CHF 3 is deducted on first top-up. Remaining balances can be refunded after the festival via an online form by July 20 of the event year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Sierre Blues Festival organises and operates an annual three-day open-air blues, soul, and rock music festival held at Plaine Bellevue in Sierre, Switzerland (Thursday through Saturday in June). It sells individual day tickets and 3-night festival passes via Ticketmaster Switzerland, runs a recurring Club des Amis VIP membership programme (CHF 499/year), and operates a Raiffeisen cashless wristband payment system for on-site purchases of food, beverages, and merchandise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Club des Amis: A friends' club of the Sierre Blues Festival providing financial and physical support to the event. Members receive 2 transferable tickets per evening, access to Blues Garden and Lounge Bar, invitations to launch events and program presentations. Annual membership costs CHF 499.
• Sierre Blues' Kids
• Blues en Ville

Products and services

• Sierre Blues Festival Annual three-day open-air blues, soul, and rock music festival held at Plaine Bellevue in Sierre, Switzerland. Programming runs Thursday through Saturday in June with a main stage and partner venue stages across Sierre.
• Club des Amis Membership Annual recurring membership priced at CHF 499/year offering 2 transferable tickets per evening with VIP access to Blues Garden and Lounge Bar, complimentary welcome aperitif, invitations to festival launch events, program presentations, and partner events throughout the year.
• Sierre Blues' Kids Youth music education programme featuring a choir of approximately 40 young people who learn and perform blues songs. Includes a two-day blues camp with preparation workshops led by monitors and a cook, directed by musician Thierry Epiney. The group inaugurates each edition of the festival on the main stage.
• Blues en Ville National edition of the festival launched during the pandemic, showcasing Swiss artists in a secondary September event that complements the main June festival.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 artists hosted since 2009
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ticketmaster Suisse SAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 18 June 2026Official and sole authorised ticketing partner for the Sierre Blues Festival. Handles all online ticket sales (individual day tickets and festival passes) through ticketmaster.ch. Ticketmaster processes payments and issues tickets. The festival explicitly disclaims all unauthorised resale platforms.
• Raiffeisen (JM Contactless)coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides the festival's cashless wristband payment system. Festival-goers load value onto Raiffeisen wristbands distributed at the venue to pay for food, beverages, and other on-site purchases. Includes NFC and QR code self-service top-up options.
• JM ContactlesscoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner managing the cashless payment wristband system, including refund processing after the festival via jmco.ch/refund.
• Fiesta Label (Promotion santé Valais)coreOthersThe Fiesta Label is a harm-reduction programme for festive environments, managed by the Addiction-CIPRET sector of Promotion santé Valais. It is awarded to events that commit to party ethics including prevention, risk reduction, youth protection, security, and environmental considerations.
• Ville de SierrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Sierre is a primary institutional supporter of the festival. The event takes place in the heart of the city at Plaine Bellevue. The city supports the festival as part of its cultural and economic development strategy.
• Canton du ValaiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Canton of Valais provides institutional support and encouragement of culture, as indicated by its logo on the festival's supporter page.
• Bourgeoisie de SierrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Bourgeoisie (municipal corporation) of Sierre is listed as a supporter of the festival.
• Valais TourismeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe regional tourism body supports the festival as part of Valais's tourism offering, helping promote the event and attract visitors to the region.
• Swiss Plage (Camping)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial camping partner for the 2026 edition, located in Salgesch. Offers discounted rates for festival visitors (CHF 40/70/100 for 1/2/3 nights for 2 persons + electricity). Includes free shuttle bus to the festival site.
• Moxy SionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHotel partner located in Sion, recommended for festival attendees requiring accommodation. Listed as both Bronze sponsor and accommodation partner.
• European Blues UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe festival is a member from its first editions, providing a network for booking European artists and raising the festival's profile on the international blues circuit.
• Sierre TourismminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal tourism body recommending accommodation options to festival-goers via sierretourisme.ch.
• SBB CFF (Swiss Federal Railways)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe festival entrance is located 150 metres from Sierre/Siders train station. The festival strongly encourages use of public transport. Train schedules are referenced on sbb.ch.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Byron Bay Bluesfest: Major annual blues and roots music festival held in Byron Bay, Australia, that has hosted many of the same international artists as Sierre Blues (e.g., ZZ Top, Fantastic Negrito). Comparable as a globally recognized multi-day blues festival with tiered ticketing and international headliner bookings, though operating in a different hemisphere and at larger scale.
• North Sea Jazz Festival: One of the largest indoor jazz and blues music festivals in the world, held annually in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Comparable as a multi-day ticketed music festival with international headliner programming and strong sponsor relationships, though it operates at vastly greater scale and capacity than Sierre Blues.
• Montreux Jazz Festival: Iconic annual music festival held on the shores of Lake Geneva, Switzerland — the most directly comparable Swiss music festival to Sierre Blues. Both are open-air, multi-day events in French-speaking Switzerland with strong international headliner programming and institutional backing, though Montreux operates at a much larger scale focused on jazz rather than blues.
• Notodden Blues Festival: Premier European blues festival held annually in Notodden, Norway, founded in 1989. Highly comparable as a dedicated blues-focused European festival with international artist bookings, a European Blues Union member, and a similar community-driven organizational model that has earned international recognition.
• Paléo Festival Nyon: Largest open-air music festival in Switzerland, held annually in Nyon. Comparable as a multi-day Swiss open-air festival with diverse headliner programming, ticketed entry, and tiered pricing — though at significantly larger scale and with broader genre coverage than the blues-focused Sierre Blues.
• Jazz à Vienne: Major annual jazz and blues festival held in Vienne, France — directly comparable as a French-speaking European summer music festival with roots-music programming, international headliners, and strong institutional support. Like Sierre Blues, it targets the Francophone European audience with multi-day ticketed programming.

Regional players

• Lucerne Festival (Blues at the Grand Palace): Swiss classical and contemporary music festival in Lucerne that occasionally programs blues and roots acts. Comparable as a prestigious Swiss festival institution attracting international audiences and corporate sponsorship, but with a different core genre focus (classical/contemporary vs. blues).

Others

• European Blues Union: Network organization of European blues festivals of which Sierre Blues is a member. Relevant as a peer network and ecosystem connector rather than a direct competitor — provides booking channels and profile-raising for festivals like Sierre Blues across Europe.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/results?search_query=sierre+blues+festival
• Xx.com/sierreblues
• Facebookfacebook.com/Sierrebluesfestival
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sierreblues

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sierre Blues Festival