The future of Swiss festival the Baloise Session is looking bright, as insurance group Basler Versicherungen extends its current presenting contract for another five years.

The deal means the event, which takes place each autumn at Basel’s club-like Event Halle, is secured for the years up to and including 2025.

The sold-out 2018 edition of Baloise Session saw performances from George Ezra, Buddy Guy, Lauryn Hill and John Legend.

“The Baloise Session is unique and brings fresh delights year after year,” says Basler Versicherungen chief executive Michael Müller. “We are proud to be presenting sponsor for the seventh time and to contribute to musical diversity in Switzerland through our engagement.”

“We are grateful that Basler Versicherungen, with whom we share a history that goes back more than 20 years, recognises the power and emotionality of music,” comments Beatrice Stirnimann, chief executive of the Baloise Session.

“The Baloise Session is unique and brings fresh delights year after year”

Stirnimann calls the partnership “a valuable commitment” that gives the Baloise Sessions team “the freedom to add further melodious chapters to the 34-year history of the festival and deliver unforgettable concert experiences to visitors.”

Stephan Werthmüller, chairman of the board of Session Basel, adds that the sponsorship renewal is “a testament to a solid partnership based on mutual trust and appreciation.

According to the chairman, “such a long-standing collaboration is extraordinarily important in the field of culture.”

The 2019 edition of Baloise Sessions takes place from 12 to 31 October. The line-up for this year’s event will be announced on Wednesday (21 August), with ticket sales beginning on Wednesday 28 August.

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The 2018 edition of Baloise Session comes to a close tonight, bringing the curtain down on another successful year for the Swiss festival, which sold all its 15,500 tickets after missing out by a whisker last year.

Performers this year included Lauryn Hill, John Legend, George Ezra, Buddy Guy and Lo and Leduc, with indie-rockers Walking on Cars and US singer-songwriter LP playing tonight’s closing show. The festival once again took place in the candlelit club-like setting of Basel’s Event Halle, running from 19 October to 6 November.

“It is a huge testament to our work to achieve a 100% sell-out,” says Baloise Session CEO Beatrice Stirnimann. “That’s not a given these days.

“It is a huge testament to our work to achieve a 100% sell-out”

“The exclusive concert experiences in a unique club-like setting appear to be in tune with the times, and are [also] greatly appreciated by the performers. I’d like to take this opportunity to express my warmest thanks to our visitors.”

Video from eight Baloise Session 2019 concerts – Beth Hart, RAD Trio featuring Candy Dulfer, Buddy Guy, George Ezra, John Legend, Clueso, Sunrise Avenue and Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals – are available until the start of December on ARTE Concert, with Lauryn Hill to be added shortly.

Baloise Session will return on 12–31 October next year.

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