The stars of the Baloise Session 2026
Erykah Badu, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Stephan Eicher, Joe Bonamassa, Mark Forster: The 41st Baloise Session will bring 18 acts to the Event Hall at Messe Basel from October 16 through November 4. The audience sits at club tables by candlelight, and each evening brings together two distinct artistic worlds. Advance ticket sales begin on August 26.
“We want to create surprising moments through a carefully curated program,” says CEO Beatrice Stirnimann. The 2026 program brings together legends and newcomers, blending pop, disco, soul, chanson, blues, and folk.
Mark Forster will open the festival. He has delivered hits such as “Au Revoir,” “Chöre,” and “Übermorgen,” and is known to an audience of millions as a coach on *The Voice of Germany*. Joining him on stage: KAMRAD from Wuppertal, who sings in English and has amassed over 500 million streams with “I Believe.” The two know each other from serving on the judging panel of *The Voice of Germany* in 2024.
On the second night, Forster takes the stage again, this time with Lo & Leduc. The Bern-based duo holds the record for the most successful Swiss song of all time with “079”: 21 weeks at No. 1, six-time platinum. They’ll also be performing tracks from their latest album, “Krise als Chanson.”
Nile Rodgers helped shape the disco sound with CHIC (“Le Freak,” “Good Times”), produced “Let’s Dance” for David Bowie and “Like a Virgin” for Madonna, and won a Grammy in 2013 for Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky.” He has been in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame since 2017. Rick Astley reached number one in 25 countries in 1987 with “Never Gonna Give You Up”; the song has over one billion Spotify streams.
Rodgers will perform a second night, this time with Natasha Bedingfield. The London native has written hits as a singer and producer that are still popular today.
Both got their starts on TV talent shows, and both went their separate ways afterward. Calum Scott triggered Simon Cowell’s Golden Buzzer on *Britain’s Got Talent*; his “Dancing On My Own” has over 1.5 billion streams. Tori Kelly caught the spotlight on *American Idol* and later won three Grammys.
Stephan Eicher, who got his start with Grauzone (“Eisbär”) and became a star in France with “Déjeuner en paix,” is returning to the Baloise Session for the third time. Imany, a former Calvin Klein model, has amassed over one billion streams with “Don’t Be So Shy.”
Erykah Badu helped shape neo-soul in 1997 with “Baduizm” and has collaborated with artists including The Roots, OutKast, and Tyler, the Creator. Max Herre (Freundeskreis) and Joy Denalane, one of Germany’s greatest soul voices, will present their collaborative album “Alles Liebe.”
James Arthur rose to fame with “Impossible,” and “Say You Won’t Let Go” has over a billion streams. He previously performed at the Baloise Session in 2015, back when he was just starting his career. The Nicotine Dolls from New York will kick off the evening with their mix of rock, pop, and jazz influences.
Joe Bonamassa shared the stage with B.B. King at the age of twelve and holds the record for the most No. 1 albums on the Billboard Blues Charts, with 31. In the U.S., he fills arenas; in Basel, he’s performing in a club setting. Brandy Clark from Nashville won her first Grammy in 2024 for “Dear Insecurity” and co-wrote the Broadway musical “Shucked.”
To wrap things up, two bands from the younger generation will take the stage. The Irish band Picture This started with a song recorded on an iPhone and now fills arenas. Amistat, the folk duo consisting of twin brothers Josef and Jan Prasil, began as street musicians and now reach an audience of millions.
Advance ticket sales begin on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at approximately 8 a.m.