Urs Kessler, founder of SnowpenAir and director of Jungfrau Railways, fought until the very end for it to go ahead. He now supports the Parliament’s decision and the far-reaching measures: “It is a great pity for all of us that the history of SnowpenAir has to end like this after more than two decades. But everybody’s health comes first.” The mixture of pop-rock, songs in the local dialect and “Schlager” music would have seen over 10,000 people making a pilgrimage to Kleine Scheidegg on both 4 and 5 April.

Now the 23rd SnowpenAir remains “unfinished” – after 22 unforgettable editions. That the SnowpenAir would have taken place for the last time this year is due to a deal regarding the V-Cableway generation project. Those objecting to the project, the owners of the Hotel Bellevue on Kleine Scheidegg, were only prepared to withdraw their objection if there was no SnowpenAir in future.

Originally, SnowpenAir was created by Urs Kessler to stimulate the last weeks of the winter business. He does not rule out the possibility that there will be a winter season launch in the future.

Ticket refunds

Refunding the thousands of tickets represents an enormous challenge. It is a huge administrative burden for organisers and ticket providers. We therefore ask visitors to understand that a lump sum of CHF 5 per ticket must be deducted for the high cost of processing the refunds. This was agreed by the industry association of professional Swiss concert, show and festival organisers (SMPA) and various important stakeholders in the Swiss event and entertainment scene, including the National Circus Knie.

Further information regarding refund procedures will be posted on the SnowpenAir website in due course.