Baloise Session 2026 – Discover the Magic of Different Musical Worlds
Power pop with Mark Forster, Kamrad, and Lo & Leduc. Disco legends Nile Rodgers & Chic, once with Rick Astley, once with Natasha Bedingfield. Timeless Chanson poetry with Stephan Eicher and Imany. Neo-soul magic with Erykah Badu and Max Herre & Joy Denalane. Two of today’s most moving voices: Calum Scott and Tori Kelly. Emotional songwriting power with James Arthur and the Nicotine Dolls. Blues by Joe Bonamassa and Americana by Brandy Clark. Indie pop from Picture This and intimate folk from Amistat: From October 16 to November 4, the Baloise Session 2026 will bring together ten concert evenings at the Event Halle Messe Basel, showcasing the full spectrum of musical diversity.
18 acts, legends alongside newcomers, groove alongside goosebumps—the program for the 41st Baloise Session bridges Generations, genres, and cultures. American roots meet European soundscapes; major hitmakers meet a new generation of artists. The intimate, candlelit club-like atmosphere in the Event Halle Messe Basel turns every concert into a unique musical experience that no arena in the world can offer.
Beatrice Stirnimann, CEO of the Baloise Session: “We want to create moments of surprise through carefully curated programming—that’s the magic of the Baloise Session. This year, too, we’ve put together concert evenings where different artistic worlds come together. And we’re grateful to our partners and sponsors—and look forward to embarking on these musical journeys of discovery with you, our dear fans.”
Mark Forster and Kamrad will kick off the Baloise Session 2026 on October 16 with authentic pop, strong melodies, plenty of live energy—and will set the tone for this year’s festival with the OPENING NIGHT. Forster has taken playlists by storm with “Au revoir,” “Chöre,” and “Übermorgen” and, as a coach on The Voice of Germany, has shown that he has a knack for the topics of the moment. On stage, he truly comes into his own: sing-along choruses, warmth, and a sense of family. Kamrad, who hails from Wuppertal, focuses on a different facet: He deliberately sings in English, with a Britpop vibe—and has racked up over 500 million streams with his catchy hit “I Believe.” He already knows Forster from serving on the judging panel of *The Voice of Germany* in 2024. Now he’s sharing the stage with him for a LIV evening in Basel.
On the second evening, the Baloise Session AM PULS DER ZEIT continues. Because Mark Forster is once again celebrating his power pop. This time he’s teaming up with Lo & Leduc—a meeting of High German and Swiss German. It will be exciting to hear two distinct sounds from the same linguistic region side by side within the same genre! Lo & Leduc from Bern have a keen “feel” for the small truths of everyday Swiss life—and turn them into witty, sophisticated sing-along pop. With “079,” they scored the most successful Swiss song of all time: 21 weeks at No. 1, six-time platinum. They’ll also be presenting their latest album, “Krise als Chanson”—a “contemporary barometer of concerns” delivered with the tongue-in-cheek humor that’s always a hallmark of their style.
NILE RODGERS & CHIC and RICK ASTLEY—big names, big promises: Welcome to the HITMASTERS! On October 19, two eras of groove will collide. Rodgers, co-founder of the cult 1970s band Chic, helped pioneer the disco sound with “Le Freak” and “Good Times.” He produced “Let’s Dance” for David Bowie, “Like a Virgin” for Madonna, and in 2013 landed another Grammy-winning track with Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky.” In 2017, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1987, Rick Astley made his mark on the music scene with his distinctive baritone voice and the hit “Never Gonna Give You Up.” The song reached number one in 25 countries and has amassed over one billion Spotify streams to date. An internet phenomenon was even named after him: “Rickrolling.” Astley takes it in stride—and jumps on the trend.
There are few artists whose body of work is so rich and diverse that it could easily fill two completely different concert evenings. Nile Rodgers & Chic are undoubtedly among them—especially since the Baloise Session offers him a variety of musical counterparts. This evening is themed NOW AND FOREVER and highlights how music bridges the ages. The New York hit producer does this by conveying a positive outlook on life—with the driving rhythm of his guitar and his groovy disco tracks that instantly get your feet moving. The lady from London who shares the stage with him this evening does the same with her perfect “hooks”—melodies that instantly stick in your head and linger there for a long time. Natasha Bedingfield has not only produced hits as a singer that unite Generations. Like Rodgers, she also works as a producer with the industry’s biggest names—and lends them her timeless brilliance.
Some careers begin with a single moment on TV—and grow into something truly great. On October 21, two of the greatest voices—CALUM SCOTT and TORI KELLY—will come together: He triggered Simon Cowell’s Golden Buzzer on *Britain’s Got Talent*, while she first caught the public’s attention on *American Idol*. But instead of letting themselves be molded into pop products, both went their own way. Scott’s “Dancing On My Own” has over 1.5 billion streams, and his “You Are The Reason” has over a billion YouTube views. Kelly has won three Grammys and blends pop, gospel, and R&B with a vocal control that thrives on nuance rather than volume. In the intimate setting of the Baloise Session, under the theme PURE VOICES, both artists find exactly the setting their music needs.
SOIRÉE SANS FRONTIÈRES – the French title says it all. On October 23, Stephan Eicher and Imany will share the stage—two anti-pop stars who have never defined themselves by trends. Eicher, born in 1960 in Münchenbuchsee, Bern, created the new wave classic “Eisbär” with the band Grauzone and became a star in France and far beyond with “Déjeuner en paix.” Artistically, he is a traveler who chooses his performance venues with great care. The fact that he’s coming to Basel for the third time says a lot about his close relationship with the Baloise Session. Imany, once a model for Calvin Klein, found her way to music through a series of detours: Her hit “Don’t Be So Shy”—thanks in part to a remix—surpassed the one-billion-stream mark, and on “Women Deserve Rage,” she speaks uncompromisingly about trauma and healing. Two artists who bridge cultural divides, whose concerts thrive on poetry rather than special effects.
There are voices that fill a room—and those that transform it. On October 27, the MAGIC SOULS evening will bring together three musical forces that give soul its sound in very different ways. Erykah Badu, the mysterious “Queen of Neo Soul,” defined an entire genre with her 1997 album “Baduizm,” winning five Grammys and shining in collaborations with The Roots, OutKast, Tyler, the Creator, and others. Her concerts are artistic performances full of improvisation and personality. Max Herre and Joy Denalane bring soul to Basel in a more tangible way: He helped shape German hip-hop with Freundeskreis, and she is one of Germany’s greatest soul voices. Their joint album “Alles Liebe” brings them even closer together—on stage and in life.
James Arthur has never made a secret of his struggles. His 2012 victory on “The X Factor” was followed by self-doubt and the loss of his record deal. Four years later, he made a comeback that wrote pop history: “Say You Won’t Let Go” has amassed over a billion streams to date! FROM THE INSIDE on October 30, he’ll speak about deep emotions and looking inward as a source of creative power. When Arthur first performed at the Baloise Session in 2015, he was just beginning his artistic journey. His return showcases a mature artist who now fills arenas worldwide. That’s also what makes the Baloise Session special: showcasing artists early on, before they take the biggest stages by storm. That’s why it’s worth paying close attention to the Nicotine Dolls from New York: The indie band kicks off the evening with their mix of rock, pop, and jazz influences.
On November 3, the spotlight will be on the true spirit of America: Joe Bonamassa and Brandy Clark—two very different musicians sharing the same musical roots—will take the stage: TRUE AMERICAN ROOTS! Bonamassa, who was already performing on stage alongside B.B. King at the age of twelve, holds an impressive record: 31 number-one albums on the Billboard Blues Charts! In the U.S., he fills arenas; at the Baloise Session, he performs in a club setting, which lends his blues a unique immediacy. Brandy Clark, a multi-award-winning Nashville songwriter, won her first Grammy in 2024 for “Dear Insecurity” and brought the stories of rural America to a new stage with the Broadway musical “Shucked.” An evening that shows how the old stories of the U.S. continue to be told.
Translated with DeepL
