The Paléo Festival de Nyon, usually just called Paléo, is an annual open-air festival held in Nyon, Switzerland. It is one of the major open-air music festivals in mainland Europe and the biggest in Switzerland. Both a springboard for young talent and a showcase for established artists, Paléo has gradually opened up to all musical styles, as well as to the circus and street arts. The festival lasts six days at the end of July, from Tuesday to Sunday, and the final main stage concert is preceded by a great firework display with music.
It started in 1976 under the name "Nyon Folk Festival". The first edition was held in the village hall in Nyon and brought 1800 spectators. The following editions, from 1977 until 1989, were held at Colovray, Nyon, by Lake Geneva and had only two stages. In 1986 the festival is renamed "Paléo Nyon Festival". In 1990, it moved to its current location, at the Plaine de l'Asse.
Since its inception, the festival has hosted more than 4,000 artists and welcomed nearly 8 million spectators. By 2025, it was recognized by the European Festivals Association (Yourope) as the "Best Major European Festival," maintained by a team of approximately 5,000 volunteers and 120 permanent staff members.
Stages
The Paléo features six stages: La Grande Scène (the Main Stage) Vega (Which replaced Les Arches in 2022) Le Club Tent (the Club Tent) La Ruche (the hive) (formerly called 'La Crique') Le Dôme (the Dome) Belleville (since 2022, dedicated to electronic music) Le Détour (regional bands now located inside the festival, formerly called 'FMR' which was a free stage)
Since 2003, the Paléo has introduced Le Village du Monde (The World Village) section, which is a space reserved for an invited region of the world. This place offers the region's culture and food. It also includes Le Dôme which shows only artists from the invited region.
280,000 visitors and over 5,000 staff participated in the 2015 event.
Tickets Tickets can be purchased on the Paléo Website. Special offers are available usually as early as November of the year preceding the next Paléo festival with discounted all-week passes. Later in Spring the official programme is published and the second, slightly less discounted tickets are available. They are often sold out very quickly. In the months preceding the festival more tickets are sold at full price.
To fight black-market ticket sales, 1500 one-day tickets are held up to be sold the same day as their validity date and can be purchased online (to be printed by the buyer).
The lineup used to be revealed on a late April Wednesday at noon, following which, both tickets and passes would sell out within days. From 2008 onwards, the lineup is unveiled one week prior to the sale, giving people plenty of time to make up their mind and thus rushing them online to get their tickets one week later. In 2009, all 280,000 tickets and passes were sold in a record one-and-a-half hours.
Yearly summary
1997 Invited artists: Al Jarreau Eddy Mitchell IAM Isaac Hayes Jamiroquai Jane Birkin Johnny Clegg & Savuka Khaled Morcheeba Noa Noir Désir Pascal Obispo Placebo Shaggy Simple Minds Sinéad O'Connor Suzanne Vega Texas
For a full list see the 1997 history.
1998 Invited artists: Charles Trenet Claude Nougaro Dolly Eagle-Eye Cherry Faudel Herbie Hancock IAM Jean-Louis Aubert Joe Cocker K's Choice Linton Kwesi Johnson Louise Attaque -M- MC Solaar Patricia Kaas Portishead The Prodigy The Wailers Run-D.M.C. Stereophonics Yann Tiersen
For a full list see the 1998 history.
1999 Invited artists: Alliance Ethnik Ben Harper Celia Cruz Charles Aznavour Cheb Mami Fun Lovin' Criminals Garbage Gotthard Iggy Pop Stephan Eicher
For a full list see the 1999 history.
2000 Invited artists: Beck Bloodhound Gang Buena Vista Social Club Compay Segundo Rita Mitsouko Louise Attaque Massilia Sound System Mickey 3D Morcheeba Muse Noir Désir Oasis Patrick Bruel Pink Martini Renaud Saian Supa Crew
For a full list see the 2000 history.
2001 Invited artists: Ben Harper Kool & the Gang Lynda Lemay Manu Chao Natalia M. King Placebo Red Snapper St. Germain Texas The Young Gods Tom McRae Vanessa Paradis
For a full list see the 2001 history.
2002 Invited artists: Zucchero Yann Tiersen The Cure Supertramp Pet Shop Boys MC Solaar Jovanotti Noir Désir Indochine James Brown
For a full list see the 2002 history.
2003 Invited artists: Asian Dub Foundation R.E.M. Alanis Morissette Ibrahim Ferrer Jimmy Cliff Massive Attack Nada Surf Renaud Ska-P The Cardigans
For a full list see the 2003 history.
This year saw the first Village du Monde. Africa was invited with Cameroon, Nigeria and other countries from that continent.
2004 Invited artists: Eros Ramazzotti Jamel Debbouze (a French comedian in the festival's only non-musical show scheduled on the main scene) Pascal Obispo Peter Gabriel Stephan Eicher Starsailor Texas Muse Myslovitz (From Poland)
Latin America was invited at the Village du Monde. Specifically Venezuela, Colombia, Equator, Peru and Mexico among others.
For a full list see the 2004 history.
2005 In 2005, the following world-renowned artists participated at the Paléo (among many others): Lenny Kravitz George Clinton (funk musician) Jamiroquai Starsailor Rammstein Samael IAM Stress Pink Martini Babylon Circus Franz Ferdinand
That year was considered very successful, with a cool but clear weather for most of the week (except some short showers on Sunday). Asia was the region invited to the Village du Monde, including China, Tibet, Nepal, Vietnam, Thailand and Japan.
For a full list see the 2005 history.
2006 Paléo took place from 18 to 23 July 2006 with the following artists: Depeche Mode Placebo The Who Tracy Chapman Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals Pixies Goldfrapp Ziggy Marley HIM The Dandy Warhols Dub Incorporation Benabar Feeder The Kooks Indochine Hateful Monday
Eastern Europe hosted the Village du Monde.
For a full list see the 2006 history.
2007 Björk Muse Arctic Monkeys Jean-Louis Murat Rachid Taha Arcade Fire Arno Malouma Pink Robert Plant Laurent Voulzy Grand Corps Malade Joey Starr Stress Oxmo Puccino Daby Toure Zucchero Lynda Lemay Ayo Groundation Bitty Mc Lean feat. Sly & Robbie Tryo Sanseverino Emily Loizeau Gad Elmaleh Air The Young Gods Cassius Renaud Zazie Gogol Bordello The Locos La Ruda Tinariwen Michel Corboz Natacha Atlas Idir
For a full list see the 2007 history.
2008 The Hives The Raveonettes Massive Attack Mika Yael Naïm R.E.M. Justice
R.E.M. headlined the Sunday night.
For a full list see the 2008 history.
2009 2009 edition of Paléo took place from the 21 to 26 July 2009. Below list includes some of the musicians who performed during the concert:
Sunny Lakherwal Rohit Rattan Gautam Bagri Rodrigo Y Gabriela Moby Amy Macdonald Placebo The Ting Tings Kaiser Chiefs Tracy Chapman Rishipal Singh Padha Ayo Gossip The Prodigy Fatboy Slim Pete Doherty TV On The Radio Franz Ferdinand Sophie Hunger White Lies Izia Daily Bread The Bianca Story Peter Kernel Girls in the Kitchen The V.AC. The Young Gods play "Woodstock" Ghinzu Pascale Picard Band Peter von Poehl The Black Box Revelation Yodelice Bonaparte Mama Rosin Thomas More Project Commodor 2manydjs Hugh Coltman Karkwa Naive New Beaters Heidi Happy Tim & Puma Mimi Brutus Charlie Winston Naive New Beaters Toboggan Gautam Bagri Josef Of The Fountain Santigold (ex Santogold) Cold War Kids Caravan Palace Grace Evelinn Trouble & Trespassers DatA Kate Wax Nancy Glowbus The Proteins Trilok Gurtu Anaïs Julien Doré La Chanson du Dimanche Dhoad Gypsies from Rajahsthan Masaladosa Kiran Ahluwalia Dhabi Olli & the Bollywood Orchestra Alborosie Omar Perry & Homegrown Band Takana Zion La Pulqueria Rohit Rattan Achanak Ska-P Zone Libre vs Casey & B. James La Pulqueria Tumi and the Volume Ska Nerfs Francis Cabrel Les Ogres de Barback La Grande Sophie Debout Sur Le Zinc Zedrus Raghunath Manet Karsh Kale & MIDIval Punditz Musafir - Gypsies of Rajasthan Jaipur Maharaja Brass Band Abd al Malik Oxmo Puccino La Gale et Rynox Trip In Tweek
India was the region invited to the Village du Monde.
For a full list see the 2009 history.
2010 In 2010, the festival was held from July 20 to July the 24th. Some of the performing artists included:
N*E*R*D Iggy and The Stooges Motörhead Damien Saez Suprême NTM Two Door Cinema Club Charlie Winston Foals Crosby, Stills & Nash Johnny Clegg Milow Archive Gentleman & The Evolution Sens Unik Jamiroquai Plastiscines John Butler Trio Paolo Nutini Klaxons Indochine
The Motto for the Village du Monde was Southern Africa.
For a full list see the 2010 history.
2011 The 2011 edition of the Paléo Festival took place from Tuesday, July the 19th to Sunday, July the 24th. The following list includes some of the acts that were confirmed on the 5th of April:
AaRON Admiral James T. Jean-Louis Aubert Beirut Bloody Beetroots James Blunt The Chemical Brothers Cocoon Les Cowboys Fringants The Dø PJ Harvey Jack Johnson Mika (replaced Amy Winehouse) Metronomy Moriarty Yael Naïm The National Noisettes Patrice & The Supowers Robert Plant & The Band of Joy Portishead Pulled Apart By Horses The Strokes Stromae Tarun Bhardwaj Ambala Waale Amy Winehouse (canceled her European Tour due to alcohol problems) William White Zaz and her band
The Motto for the Village du Monde was the Caribbean.
For a full list see the 2011 history.
2012
17 July Manu Chao Franz Ferdinand Hubert-Félix Thiéfaine Camille Brigitte M83 Quentin Mottier Baba Zula
18 July The Cure Justice Mashrou' Leila Natacha Atlas Dionysos Bon Iver Dominique A Other Lives Warpaint
19 July Sting Stephan Eicher Caravan Palace Chinese Man Groundation Raggasonic Le Nico Baillod Band Le Trio Joubran
20 July Lenny Kravitz Rodrigo y Gabriela Imany Irma Orelsan 1995 C2C
21 July Garbage Bloc Party The Kooks The Kills Bénabar Thomas Dutronc GiedRé Agoria Avishai Cohen
22 July David Guetta Roger Hodgson Kev Adams 77 Bombay Street Maxime Vengerov
2013 23 July Neil Young and Crazy Horse Two Gallants Phoenix Sophie Hunger Alt-J Lou Doillon 24 July Arctic Monkeys The Smashing Pumpkins Asaf Avidan Beach House Dranko Jones The Bloody Beetroots 25 July Dub Incorporation Santana Tryo Stupeflip Sigur Rós Kadebostany 26 July Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds -M- Youssoupha Keny Arkana 27 July Blur BB Brunes Damien Saez Benjamin Biolay Kavinsky Oxmo Puccino 28 July Patrick Bruel Bastian Baker Michaël Grégorio Raphael Paul Meyer with Le Concert Européen
2014 Vincent Veillon et Vincent Kucholl Seasick Steve Thirty Seconds to Mars
2015 Robbie Williams Gary Clark Jr.
2016 Muse Bastille Soom T
2017 Red Hot Chili Peppers Arcade Fire Macklemore and Ryan Lewis Foals Pixies Black M Christophe Maé Petit Biscuit Midnight Oil Lola Marsh
2018 Gorillaz The Killers Lenny Kravitz Kaleo Depeche Mode Indochine MGMT Jain Jamel Debbouze Romeo Elvis Suprême NTM Nekfeu Bigflo & Oli Angèle Feder Lorenzo Orelsan Emir Kusturica & The No Smoking Orchestra
2019 +HeadlinersTuesday 23 JulyWednesday 24 JulyThursday 25 JulyFriday 26 JulySaturday 27 JulySunday 28 JulyTwenty One Pilots Christine and the Queens Charlotte Gainsbourg Les Cowboys FringantsLana Del Rey -M- The BlazeThe Cure LomepalSoprano Damso Angèle Hubert-Félix ThiéfaineShaka Ponk Stephan Eicher & TraktorkestarPatrick Bruel Birkin Gainsbourg Dadju
2020 The 2020 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021 The 2021 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2022 Tuesday 19 JulyWednesday 20 JulyThursday 21 JulyFriday 22 JulySaturday 23 JulySunday 24 July KISS -M- Dropkick Murphys La Femme Turnstile Panda Dub Perturbator O.B.G & Charlie P & Sr Wilson Mungo's Hi Fi The Murder Capital Silver Dust Arka'n Asrafokor Santrofi BROKEN BRIDGE Guiss Guiss Bou Bess Ubik All Stars feat. Nello B Little Lion Sound Sting Rag'n'Bone Man Metronomy Feu! Chatterton