Queens of the Stone Age in the Paris catacombs
From Queens of the Stone Age to Jon Batiste - the Baloise Session 2025 once again has plenty of surprises in store. From October 17 to November 6, Basel will become a music stronghold. And the line-up is really impressive: Including pop icons Duran Duran, Swiss Zoë Më, Austrian electro-swing inventor Parov Stelar and Scottish folk rocker Amy Macdonald - to name just a few for now.
This is where it gets really exciting: Queens of the Stone Age are coming to Basel on October 21 - but not as you know them. The Californians are leaving their mega amplifiers at home and playing their hits acoustically. Inspired by their film "Alive In The Catacombs", which they shot in the Paris catacombs in 2024. It can only be seen seven times in Europe, and Basel will be there.
Before that, the Moonpools from Basel will heat things up. The quintet around singer Marcie Nyffeler even won over BBC 6 Music with "Pure Shores". Not bad for a Swiss band.
After 40 years of festival history, it's happening for the first time: Duran Duran are coming to the Baloise Session. And because once is not enough, on two evenings. On October 23 with 27-year-old Northern Irishman JC Stewart and on October 24 with Paula Dalla Corte from Thurgau. The Swiss singer won "The Voice of Germany" in 2020 and has long since outgrown casting shows.
The Brits have sold over 100 million albums and hits like "Wild Boys" and "Hungry Like the Wolf" are simply immortal. They are still said to be a force to be reckoned with live.
Amy Macdonald and Zoë Më kick things off on October 17 - two women, two generations, one evening. The Scot had her mega hit in 2007 with "This Is the Life", and over 500 million streams later she is still going strong. Zoë Më from Basel was at this year's Eurovision Song Contest for Switzerland and sings in German, French and English. Pretty cool.
It gets emotional on October 25: Pegasus from Biel give one of their last big performances before the band breaks up. Their songs such as "Skyline" and "Digital Kids" will probably be heard live for the last time. The headliner of the evening is Aloe Blacc - the man behind "I Need a Dollar" and the Avicii hit "Wake Me Up".
Fun fact: Pegasus frontman Noah Veraguth and Aloe Blacc have already been in the studio together. Their joint song "Greatest Show On Earth" will be performed live on the evening.
There will be dancing on October 18: Parov Stelar, the Austrian who invented electro swing, meets Berlioz - a young Brit who mixes jazz and house. Jasper Attlee describes his style as "If Matisse made house music" and has 3.3 million monthly Spotify listeners. Not bad at all.
Jon Batiste is a true all-rounder: Grammy winner, Oscar winner, bandleader with Stephen Colbert and piano virtuoso. On November 5, he will be performing solo on the piano in Basel. His music combines blues, gospel and jazz - and has been rewarded with seven Grammys and an Oscar.
The support act will be CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso, an Argentinian duo that won seven "Premio Gardel" awards this year. Their performance on NPR's "Tiny Desk Concerts" has been clicked 35 million times.
The program continues: Max Herre & Joy Denalane (married in 2007 and again in 2011) with Dabu Fantastic from the Zurich Oberland on 28 October. The "Songwriter's Night" on October 31 with Lukas Graham ("7 Years") and Tom Gregory from Blackpool. The event will conclude on November 6 with Irish melancholic Dermot Kennedy and the Larkin Poe sisters from Georgia.
All concerts take place in the Event Hall at Messe Basel, starting at 8 pm. Tickets go on sale on August 27 at 8 am. Basel will once again be the music capital for three weeks.