Ville de Genève

Just one click away is everything you need to know about a variety of purely visual presentations— dance, performance art, circus, together with all theatre and cinema productions showing in English. You will also find a listing of exhibitions and collections accompanied by English-language commentaries. And do not forget to look in on the City of Geneva and its neighbourhood events.

Visual Entertainement

This is a listing of festivals and places of entertainment giving performances that may be enjoyed by those not fluent in French—primarily visual entertainment such as dance, opera, multimedia presentations, and circus.

Opera

Geneva’s Grand Théâtre – www.geneveopera.com
This vast performing arts centre, the largest in French Switzerland, provides an annual season of world-standard opera and music recitals, together with two to three, choreographic productions by the Grand Theatre Ballet. Most of these performances offer bilingual, French/English surtitling.

Stage Productions

Bâtiment des forces motrices - www.bfm.ch
Le Bâtiment des forces motrices, the Power Station Building, a masterly transformation of disused industrial plant, has become an popular venue for the performing arts and special events.    

Association pour la danse contemporaine (ADC) - www.adc-geneve.ch
The Association exists to promote contemporary dance in Geneva and each season presents about 15 productions by in-house and guest performers.

Théâtre du Galpon - www.galpon.ch
The Galpon Theatre presents diverse forms of stage-craft—marionette theatre, dance, and sound productions from the four corners of the earth.

Théâtre Forum Meyrin - www.forum-meyrin.ch
In a contemporary glass and grey-brick building, Meyrin’s Forum Theatre presents a varied programme of dance, music, and circus performances, together with exhibitions. 

Théâtre de l’Usine - www.darksite.ch/theatreusine/
The Usine Theatre puts on principally locally produced dance and performance art shows.

Le Poche - www.lepoche.ch

Théâtre des marionnettes de Genève - dev.marionnettes.ch

Festivals

La Bâtie - www.batie.ch
Each year in September, this interdisciplinary festival brings us a fascinating medley of laid-back, avant-garde music and dance. 

Mapping Festival - www.mappingfestival.ch
International festival centred on VJing, real-time video mixing, and related audio-visual skills. The place to be for concept sharing and finding out about new techniques. 

Festival Antigel – www.antigel.ch
An original cultural concept taking a fresh look at the relationship between dance, music, and sport, designed to generate reaction and comment among both performers and spectators.

In addition, a number of English-speaking amateur groups put on English-language performances in and around Geneva.

Geneva Amateur Operatic Society – www.gaos.ch/gaos/index.php
For musical comedy, operetta, and traditional British pantomime.

Geneva English Drama Society – www.geds.ch
Offering  a wide-ranging programme of plays from different periods and in different genres. Stage productions, play readings, workshops, and social events.

The International Comedy Club – www.internationalcomedyclub.ch
Introducing the concept of stand-up comedy to Switzerland, popular with both English-speaking Swiss and internationals.

Simply Theatre Academy - www.simplytheatre.com
Simply Theatre Academy is Geneva’s top, innovative, English speaking drama school, pioneering English performing arts provision in the Geneva and Vaud regions, by providing quality theatrical training for all ages and abilities.

Theatre in English – www.theatreinenglish.ch
On-line booking site for all amateur, English-speaking music and drama productions in the Geneva region.

Subtitled plays
New! Some theaters in Geneva propose French plays with English subtitles. Originally conceived for people with hearing problems, the subtitles are now adapted for English speaking people.

"In love with Federer" - www.lepoche.ch
from Denis Maillefer, 7 and 8 of March

Museums and Exhibitions 

Geneva is home to numerous public and private museums, art centres and galleries, all striving to outdo each other not only in the sophistication of their displays but also in the acquisition, conservation, and researching of their outstanding exhibits.

Find out just how much there is to see at www.ville-geneve.ch/themes/culture/offre-culturelle/musees/ and from the English/French brochure "Expositions temporaires", available in the "publications" page.

English-speakers will have no difficulties in enjoying this rich repertory of presentations. Public and/or private English-language visits are available at the following institutions:

• Cabinet d’art graphique
• CERN
• Fondation Baur
• Fondation Martin Bodmer
• Maison Tavel
• Mamco (Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art)
• Musée Barbier-Mueller
• Musée Ariana
• Musée d’art et d’histoire
• Musée d’ethnographie de Genève
• Musée de la Croix-rouge et du Croissant-rouge (Red Cross and Red Crescent museum)
• Musée des suisses dans le monde (Swiss citizens abroad museum)
• Musée international de la Réforme (International museum of the reformation)
• Musée Rath
• Museum d’histoire naturelle (organised by request, depending on subject)
• Palais des Nations
• Patek Philippe Museum

English-language audio-guides are available at the following: 

• Fondation Baur
• Fondation Martin Bodmer
• Musée de la Croix-rouge et du Croissant-rouge (Red Cross and Red Crescent museum)
• Musée des suisses dans le monde (Swiss citizens abroad museum)
• Site archéologique de la cathédrale (Cathedral archeological site)

English-language text guides are available at the following : 

• Centre d’Art contemporain Genève (Contemporary art center)
• Centre d’édition contemporaine (Contemporary publishing)
• Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques (Botanical gardens and conservatory)
• Fondation Baur
• Maison Tavel
• Musée Barbier-Mueller
• Musée des suisses dans le monde (Swiss citizens abroad museum)
• Musée d’histoire des sciences (History of science museum)
• Musée Rath

Getting out

Throughout the year, diverse feasts and outings will allow you to get a better idea of the City of Geneva, its background history, its parks and open-air areas as well as its warm-hearted inhabitants.

Festival du chocolat - www.versoix.ch/fdc.php - April
Come along to meet chocolate-makers from all over French Switzerland and neighbouring France and let yourself be tempted by their specialities.

Biking Saturdays - www.samediduvelo.ch/ - From April to October
Bicycle trips to find out all that is done to make Geneva safe for this eco-friendly means of getting around.

La Ville est à vous (It's your town too) - www.lavilleestavous.ch - From May to September
When public places in various Geneva neighbourhoods are given over to weekend street-party get-togethers.

Opération chaises longues (Getting out the deckchairs) - http://www.ville-geneve.ch/themes/petite-enfance-jeunesse-loisirs/manifestations-evenements/operation-chaises-longues/
Every summer in Geneva’s public parks, deckchairs are set out and social activities organized to help people enjoy just being out together in the fresh air.

Pointe de la Jonction (at the junction of the Rhône and the Arve Rivers) - http://www.ville-geneve.ch/plan-ville/parcs-jardins-plages-bains-publics/pointe-jonction/ - From June to August
The Pointe de la Jonction is one of the city’s green areas. In the summer, deckchairs are available and various activities provided. 

Fêtes de Genève – www.fetes-de-geneve.ch - August
Period of high-spirited, lakeside entertainment culminating in a stunning son et lumière fireworks finale. 

Marché de Noël des enfants (Children's christmas market) – http://www.ville-geneve.ch/themes/petite-enfance-jeunesse-loisirs/manifestations-evenements/marche-noel-enfants/ - December
Christmas Market organized by and for children in the Parc des Bastions.

Escalade Procession – www.compagniede1602.ch - December
Commemorating the attack on Geneva by the Savoyards during the night of 11/12 December 1602, annual torch-lit procession in period costume through the Old Town. 

Tree Lights – www.ville-geneve.ch - December and January
Before and during the Christmas and New Year celebrations, the trees of the city centre become a creative medium for artistic expression, combining light, colour and music. 

Archaeological site under Saint-Pierre Cathedral – www.site-archeologique.ch - All year
Archaeological remains from early Christian and pre-Christian times 

Old Town – www.geneve-tourisme.ch - All year
Hidden away in the Old Town's picturesque narrow streets are a multitude of art galleries, antique shops, bookshops and charming cafés. Cobbled streets and alleyways around the Cathedral lead into the square of the Bourg-du-Four, the Promenade de la Treille and the Terrasse Agrippa d'Aubigné.

Parkland and Lakeside – www.ville-geneve.ch/themes/environnement-urbain-espaces-verts/espaces-verts/ - All year
Let the City and its incomparable setting of lake and mountains unfold before you, by taking a walk round the lakeside from the Botanical Gardens and the Perle du Lac, across the Mont Blanc Bridge, past the Ile Rousseau, the Floral Clock and the Water Spout to the beautiful rose gardens in the Parc de la Grange and the Parc des Eaux-Vives.