1st of August Celebrations
August 1st is Swiss National Day - The health emergency has forced many Municipalities to give up fireworks and some events but there are still many initiatives organised almost everywhere throughout Ticino
Unable to list them all we have prepared a list of (weather permitting) the celebrations across the main centres, starting from:
Bellinzona, where from 18.00 the Old Convent of the Agostiniane di Monte Carasso will be the setting for the official celebrations which will host Federal Councillor Alain Berset alomg with a risotto offered by the Rabadan Society and accompanied by the musical proposals of the Friends of Rosalina, of the Concertino di Ravecchia, BrassJoy Jazz Quintet and Manupia (registration: [email protected]). At 21:00 you could also head to the Policentro in Pianezzo for a scenic reading proposed by the Social Theatre of Il fondo del sac, a novel by Plinio Martini adapted, directed and interpreted by Margherita Saltamacchia, accompanied by the accordion and percussion by Daniele Dell’Agnola.
In Piazza Grande in Locarno from 19:00 the celebrations of August 1st will be the City Music, whose performances will be followed at 19.45 by the allocation of the director of Ticino Tourism, Angelo Trotta. After the intonation of the Swiss Psalm, the celebrations will continue at 20.30 with the concert of pop-jazz singer-songwriter Scilla Hess & Band.
Always on the banks of the Verbano, artists of various genres will entertain various points throughout the village and the lakeside of Ascona with shows in homage to Switzerland from 19:00 .
In San Bernardino celebrations will be on the mountain and will feature the singer-songwriter Sebalter, who, in addition to performing from 11.00 to 14.45 every half hour in a mini set of 15 minutes, will also hold the official speech at noon, before lunch. On this occasion, the market will also take place (from 9.00 to 17.00) animated by the band ‘4 gatt’ and an open-air mass will be celebrated at 11.00 at the San Remo sports centre (in case of bad weather, in the Round Church). The celebrations will then end at 22.00 with a firework display (weather permitting).
At 10.30 the laying of the crown at the Independence monument and a musical moment with the Castagnola Philharmonic; while in the evening in Piazza della Riforma at 20.00 an address will be made by mayor Marco Borradori (registration: book.lugano.ch) along with the national anthem, the Civic Philharmonic of Lugano will perform at 20.20. The continuation of the celebrations will be accompanied by the Dada Blue Jazz, staged in Piazza Manzoni from 22.30. THose who will not be able to attend can watch from home as there will be a live broadcast live with Teleticino starting from 20.00 until 20.45. Additionally, there will also be a direct streaming on YouTube channel of the City of Lugano.
The fireworks have been cancelled in Lugano this year - other celebrations will begin at 18:00
In Mendrisio the national holiday will be marked by the screening of the film Heidi by Alain Gsponer (limited places, reservations on www.mendrisiocinema.ch) in Piazzale alla Valle, preceded at 20.30 by the speech of the deputy in the Grand Council Maurizio Agustoni and a short performance by the Mendrisio Philharmonic Civic.
Finally, in Chiassoit will be the amphitheatrum of the Cinema Teatro (if it rains, the internal spaces) to frame the celebrations of August 1st, which will start at 7.00 p.m. Then, the performance of City Music will introduce the official part, which will feature the Councillor of the States Marina Carobbio Guscetti, and will be followed by the intonation of the Swiss Psalm. In addition to the events scheduled in the squares, as mentioned, there are also many concerts and shows on the agenda in bars and restaurants throughout the canton.
Find out more about these and other initiatives scheduled until August 7 by browsing the weekly ExtraSette attached every Friday to the Corriere del Ticino. To include an event or cultural initiative on the agenda, write to [email protected]