Switzerland celebrated the New Year with bells and fireworks. In Zurich, 150,000 people marveled at the fireworks spectacle at the lake basin. In Bern, the tower keeper rang in the New Year with a hammer. And Moutier toasted a change of canton.
Published: 02:07 am
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Updated: 4:18 a.m
- Switzerland celebrated 2026 with bell tolls, fireworks and New Year’s Eve celebrations nationwide
- Moutier officially switched from the canton of Bern to Jura at midnight
- Around 150,000 people watched the Zurich fireworks display on the lake
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Keystone-SDAThe Swiss news agency
Switzerland slid into the New Year with the ringing of bells, champagne drinks and individual fireworks displays. While Bernese listened to the cathedral bells, thousands in Zurich crowded around the lake basin to witness the fireworks.
An estimated 150,000 spectators lined up to catch a glimpse of the fireworks. All lights were turned off at exactly 19 minutes after midnight so that the rockets could be clearly seen.
There was no fog this year – in contrast to New Year’s Eve 2025, when the fireworks could only be glimpsed. At that time, the onlookers only saw colored light, accompanied by the noise of the rockets. The Greens then called for the fireworks display to be canceled in fog in the future.
Not fireworks everywhere
In Geneva, this year’s celebration, including fireworks, was under the motto “Ensemble on glasses!” Rockets were also fired in Rheinfelden in Aargau – together with its German sister city on the other side of the Rhine. However, most Swiss cities decided not to have official fireworks displays.
In the federal capital Bern, the partygoers gathered on Münsterplatz to literally ring in the year. The tower keeper struck the twelve bells at midnight by hand using the only hammer available.
Moutier has been part of the canton of Jura since midnight
The municipality of Moutier changed from the canton of Bern to the canton of Jura with the last chime of the bell at midnight. Several thousand people loudly celebrated the historic moment in a torchlight procession through this town.
The destination of the move was Moutier’s townhouse. Members of the pro-Jurassic youth organization “Béliers” marched at the head of the procession. Moutier’s catering establishments had a free night.
The celebrations had already started in the afternoon. The program included an official part in front of the town hall with representatives of the municipal authorities, the Jura government and the “Moutier Ville Jurassienne” committee, a banquet in the Forum de l’Arc, a banquet and a light and sound show.
The change of canton came almost five years after a referendum in which a majority of the city’s voters decided to join the Jura.
