What Zermatt Unplugged does

Zermatt Unplugged is an annual acoustic music festival held in Zermatt, Switzerland, founded in 2007 by Thomas Sterchi, Marco Godat, and Heinz Julen. The festival operates as a Swiss association (Verein Zermatt Unplugged) with 24 employees and a related nonprofit foundation (ZUF) supporting young artists. The 17th edition in 2026 spans 5 days with 120 concerts across 17 stages distributed throughout the village and surrounding ski areas, attracting 35,000+ attendees. The product is a curated acoustic festival programming model featuring international headliners and emerging talents in intimate unplugged performances, supported by a consumer-facing iOS/Android festival app for schedule management and an e-commerce shop.

The business model is event-driven and diversified across multiple revenue streams: ticket sales (Unplugged Pass at CHF 85, individual concert tickets), tiered subscription memberships (Club: CHF 295 standard, CHF 530 Gold), merchandise sales, food and beverage operations, and corporate events. Distribution combines direct sales via the owned website, third-party ticketing (Ticketcorner), and a banking-partner channel (Raiffeisen MemberPlus), alongside physical points of sale in Zermatt. Brand partnerships with Raiffeisen (Main Partner), Swisscom and Swiss International Air Lines (Co-Partners), NORQAIN, VIU, and Sprüngli provide sponsorship revenue, supplemented by cultural grants from Culture Valais and Loterie Romande. Supporting ecosystem assets include a Friends Association (Gönnerverein) for recurring community support and the ZUF foundation for artist development.

The GTM strategy targets both consumer attendees (direct ticketing and travel-integrated distribution via Swiss travel partners) and B2B counterparties (sponsors and corporate-event clients). The 2026 edition introduced new commercial formats — Zermatt Unplugged Connect, the Mountain Academy, and Discovery Stages — alongside special-edition merchandise collaborations, signaling format and product-surface expansion within the existing Zermatt-anchored event rather than geographic expansion.

Name

Zermatt Unplugged

Legal name

Verein Zermatt Unplugged

Website

https://zermatt-unplugged.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zermatt Unplugged is an annual acoustic music festival in Zermatt, Switzerland, featuring 120 concerts across 17 stages over 5 days for 35,000+ attendees. It operates as a Swiss association with diversified ticket, membership, sponsorship, and merchandise revenue streams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Festival

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Festival Organizers & Promoters (MPAGAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Concerts & Music Festivals (THAJAFAA), Live Music Venues & Concert Bars (THAFAEAD)

Keywords

• Music festival events
• Acoustic music concerts
• Festival ticketing services
• Live music entertainment
• Mountain festival experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Zermatt

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from concert tickets and Unplugged Passes. Concert tickets provide access to main stage venues (Zeltbühne, Vernissage, Sunnegga, Loft, Jazz Club, Chapel). Unplugged Pass provides 5-day access to all Unplugged Pass stages, Taste Village, Foyer, and after parties.
2. Club Memberships: Zermatt Unplugged Club memberships (CHF 295 standard, CHF 530 Gold) offering 48h pre-sale access, festival passes, event invitations, and other benefits.
3. Merchandise and Special Editions: Sale of festival merchandise, limited edition products (watches, sunglasses, soap) through online shop and festival boutique.
4. Food and Beverage: On-site food and beverage sales through Taste Village, Foyer, and partner restaurants during the 5-day festival.
5. Corporate Events: Company events and corporate hospitality offerings for businesses during the festival.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Zermatt Unplugged operates an annual 5-day acoustic music festival in Zermatt, Switzerland, delivering 120+ concerts across 17 indoor and outdoor stages for over 35,000 attendees, combining established international acts with emerging talent. The core service is curated live music experiences complemented by on-site food and beverage, festival accommodation packages, corporate hospitality, and supporting community programs such as Club membership, Friends Association and the nonprofit ZUF Foundation for young artist development.

Product overview

Zermatt Unplugged is an annual acoustic music festival in Zermatt, Switzerland, featuring performances by global acts and emerging talent across 17 stages. The core offering is the festival itself (running 5 days with 120+ concerts). Supporting products include an official festival companion app for iOS/Android with timetables and personal schedule creation, an online merchandise shop, and the Unplugged Pass for multi-venue access. Community programs include the Zermatt Unplugged Club (membership with pre-sale access and exclusive benefits), the Friends Association (cultural promotion and networking), and the Zermatt Unplugged Foundation (non-profit supporting young artists through the Mountain Academy and Discovery Stages).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Zermatt Unplugged Foundation (ZUF): A recognized nonprofit foundation dedicated to promoting young artists, discovering talents, and supporting music and culture for children, youths and young adults.
• Mountain Academy
• Discovery Stages
• Zermatt Unplugged Connect
• Zermatt Unplugged Club
• Friends of Zermatt Unplugged Association

Products and services

• Zermatt Unplugged Festival Annual 5-day acoustic music festival in Zermatt, Switzerland featuring 120+ unplugged concerts by established and emerging artists across 17 indoor and outdoor stages throughout the village and surrounding ski area, attracting over 35,000 attendees per edition.
• Unplugged Pass

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered main partner, powered by, co-partner, mobility partner, local partner, media partner, member, chocolate partner, cooperation partner, supported by, educational partner and production partner.

• Raiffeisen Switzerlandmain partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerMain partner of Zermatt Unplugged festival. Provides banking services and MemberPlus channel for ticket sales.
• Zermatt Matterhornpowered byGTM or Marketing PartnerFestival powered by partner representing Zermatt tourism and the Matterhorn destination.
• Swisscomco-partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-partner providing telecommunications and technology sponsorship.
• Swiss International Air Linesco-partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial airline partner for festival travel, recommended for flights to Zurich, Geneva, or Basel.
• Matterhorn Gotthard Bahnmobility partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerMobility partner providing train connections. Special late-night trains from Zermatt to Visp/Brig during festival.
• Zermatt Bergbahnenlocal partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal partner providing access to mountain stages and ski area venues for festival.
• NZZ Mediamedia partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner providing press coverage and editorial content.
• Radio SRF3media partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerRadio partner providing broadcast coverage and promotion.
• SMPA (Swiss Music Promoters Association)memberOthersMember of Swiss Music Promoters Association for industry networking and standards.
• yourope (European Festival Association)memberOthersMember of European festival association for industry collaboration.
• ESNS ExchangememberOthersMember of ESNS (Eurosonic Noorderslag) Exchange program for European festival networking.
• NORQAINco-partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerWatchmaker partner producing FREEDOM CHRONO Zermatt Unplugged Special Edition watch.
• VIUco-partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerEyewear brand partner producing Special Edition Adventurer RX sunglasses for festival.
• Söderco-partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerSwiss soap brand partner producing Zermatt Soap Unplugged Edition.
• Tarzanco-partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerFashion brand collaborating on Tarzan Collection 2026 festival merchandise.
• Sprünglichocolate partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerSwiss chocolate partner providing confectionery offerings.
• Neurothcooperation partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerHearing care specialist partner for hearing protection awareness.
• Loewecooperation partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnology partner providing audio-visual equipment.
• Ernst Göhner Stiftungsupported byOthersSwiss foundation providing financial support for festival.
• Loterie Romandesupported byOthersSwiss lottery foundation providing cultural funding support.
• Culture Valaissupported byOthersCanton of Valais cultural funding program.
• SHL Schweizerische Hotelfachschule Luzerneducational partnerOthersSwiss Hotel Management School providing educational partnership.
• Air Zermattproduction partnerTechnology or IntegrationHelicopter services for production and emergency logistics.
• pixelwerft GmbHproduction partnerTechnology or IntegrationWeb agency responsible for website design and digital presence.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Open Air St. Gallen: Swiss multi-stage music festival with similar multi-day, multi-stage format and a comparable mix of headliners and emerging artists. Direct geographic and format competitor in the Swiss market.
• NOS Alive: Major Portuguese summer music festival. Comparable multi-stage premium European destination festival model with mix of international headliners and partner-driven experience (F&B, sponsor activations).
• Montreux Jazz Festival: Switzerland's flagship music festival held annually on Lake Geneva since 1967. Most direct comparable: same country, established European acoustic/live music festival brand, similar premium sponsor ecosystem, and similar reliance on destination tourism.
• Paléo Festival Nyon: Largest open-air music festival in Switzerland, held annually near Nyon. Comparable in multi-stage programming, established Swiss festival operations, and similar attendee scale (around 250,000 across multiple days).

Broad incumbents

• Live Nation Entertainment: Global live entertainment and ticketing company. Comparable as a major operator/promoter of music events and venues, and operates ticketing infrastructure relevant to Zermatt Unplugged's distribution model.
• Roskilde Festival: One of the largest European music festivals (Denmark), nonprofit association structure like Zermatt Unplugged. Comparable nonprofit festival model and multi-stage programming across several days.
• Glastonbury Festival: Iconic UK multi-stage music festival. Comparable multi-stage, multi-day format and emerging-talent showcase model, but vastly larger in scale and global profile.
• SXSW (South by Southwest): Major multi-format music, film, and tech festival in Austin, Texas. Comparable in combining established and emerging artists across many stages, but much larger scale and broader scope than Zermatt Unplugged.
• AEG Presents: Global promoter and venue operator. Comparable as a concert/festival promoter with premium brand sponsorships and global artist booking power relevant to Zermatt Unplugged's programming model.

Emerging players

• Reeperbahn Festival: European music festival and conference with strong emerging-artist focus and industry networking (similar to ESNS membership). Comparable mix of emerging talent showcases, partner-driven programming, and European festival positioning.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCdfli4tC_t_j9oNJtiJRObw
• Facebookfacebook.com/zermattunplugged
• Instagraminstagram.com/zermattunplugged
• TikToktiktok.com/@zermattunplugged
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zermatt-unplugged

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Zermatt Unplugged