Music festivals dominate the summer months in Europe, there’s not debating this. However, there seems to be a growing trend of winter based festivals sprouting up in the Alpine countries. Nevertheless, winter festivals are no new news in Switzerland, as the Caprices Festival marked its 16th anniversary April 11th-14th. Based in Southern Switzerland, the event takes place in the beautiful plateau of Crans-Montana, roughly 2-3 hours from Geneva.
There’s something truly unique about a rave in the mountains. Granted, you can’t plan on stripping down and grabbing some sun by a lake like you can with summer festivals. But, if you’re an avid fan of any form of winter sports, you’ll find such a festival the perfect getaway. Although the snow is retreating in April, Crans-Montana still boasts excellent slopes. The winter conditions make Caprices an ideal mix of pleasure and sport, something many festival goers and DJs capitalize on (as Adam Beyer did last year).
Caprices 2019 was a great blend of alternatives music. Naturally, the festival is dubbed as a rather more Techno atmosphere, but there’s a sense of distinction between the daytime and nighttime vibes. From noon until 10pm the MDRNTY stage hosted some more alternative and house sounds suitable for the crystal clear view across the alps. Located over 7000 feet above sea level and accessible only by cablecar, the MDRNTY stage is Caprices’ crowning jewel. The venue is a one-off, greenhouse styled dome with nearly 360 views of the Swiss Alps.
The venue and the views are the perfect start to what was sure to be an insane evening. As the party on top of the mountain begins to slow down, the party at the foot of the slopes began to heat up. While MDRNTY showcased the likes of Sven Väth, Ricardo Villalobos, and Mathew Jonson, the evening hosted the likes of Len Faki, Pan-Pot, Marcel Dettmann, and more.
The evening’s events were spread out over two venues; One massive tent-like structure with some of the industry’s hardest hitters and another smaller tent showcasing Swiss talents. The larger venue, The Moon, was the perfect setting to get the evening moving. The stage was much bigger than anticipated, had an excellent tech set up, and featured some banging beats. On the other hand, the smaller venue was often the ideal spot to take a step away from the madness and sit back to some Tech House.
All in all, the festival’s success is a testament to those who set it up. Although nearly 2 1/2 hours from any major city, Caprices’ logistics are absolutely flawless. Granted, managing 15,000 festival goers poses a sizable challenge in any setting. Nevertheless, the 16th anniversary of Caprices Festival was every bit of what we’d hoped:Â Music Galore in an Alpine Heaven.
Photo Credits: David Holderbach @davidholderbach
