History

Extraordinary gratitude at the heart of the festival

After the 2020 edition had to be cancelled, it was finally time again: the 35th Open Air Gampel went off peacefully and without incident, in strict compliance with all safety regulations. More than 25 bands, 50 DJs and around 30,000 festival-goers brought some normality back into life after months of forced break during three days. The organizers are extremely happy about the successful event and draw a very positive balance. Not only the numerous musical highlights as well as the cheerful weather, but above all the overwhelming gratitude of the audience, the artists as well as the organizers characterized the 35th Open Air Gampel.

112'000 festival friends made 'Gampel' the Swiss party hut. One of them cleared the air like no one else this year: Macklemore. His joy of playing is contagious. The show of the electro duo The Chemical Brothers convinced with a lot of laser and video projections. The Irish Kodaline received the star on the Walk of Stars. Also convincing Faber, Thirty Seconds To Mars, Tom Walker, Marteria and for the first time Yungblud .

The magic audience limit of 30,000 visitors was exceeded twice, on Friday and Saturday; on Saturday evening, the festival even set a new record for visitors on a single day with around 33,000. In total, the event counted around 102,100 visitors by Sunday evening. The marketing campaign surrounding the logo change, which caused much discussion in the run-up to the festival, was brought to a worthy conclusion at the festival with a live staging of the song "Iischi Party" by the fictitious band Gerd & da Polis and the logo change from the wolf back to the non-political Capricorn. Musical highlights of the 2016 edition were initially throughout the headliners. First and foremost the Scots of Biffy Clyro with their violent rock and the two danceable concerts of Parov Stelar and Robin Schulz. A great concert in front of a very large audience was also experienced by Patent Ochsner. They were honored shortly before their performance by the municipality of Gampel-Bratsch by inaugurating a star on the streets in the village.

For the first time in its long history, the number of visitors broke the 90,000 barrier. Over the four days, the Valais festival counted more than 93,200 visitors. The program was more varied than ever before. The line up included dialect, singer/songwriting, club sound, punk, rock and techno. The headliners were convincing: First and foremost Volbeat with a sensational rock pyro show, the anniversary show of the Fantastischen Vier and the surprising Scooter. Mando Diao with flowing white dresses were also able to convince with their big stadium anthems at the latest. In addition, the shows of model rapper Marteria, Fettes Brot and Casper also thrilled. There were also new discoveries, including clubbers Clean Bandit and the two Swiss combos Lo & Leduc and Yokko.

The 27th edition of the Open Air Gampel is over and one looks exclusively into satisfied faces. Satisfied the visitors, who enjoyed the sensational concerts of Foo Fighters, Placebo, Cypress Hill and Silbermond in great heat and beautiful sunshine, and also discovered some new bands, such as Triggerfinger, Alex Clare and others. Satisfied but also the organizers, who registered a total of 85,000 visitors over four days and can sum up a very peaceful and relaxed Open Air. In 'Gampel', tropical heat temperatures of up to 36 degrees prevailed over the entire weekend. The organizers used a mobile snow cannon for the first time, which sprayed the visitors with water.

A total of 80,700 visitors celebrated "iischi Party" in Gampel. Thus, 'Gampel' has secured its place in the major league of Swiss festivals also in its anniversary edition. The program was convincing. Especially the three exclusive performances of the headliners Queens of the Stone Age, Limp Bizkit and the birthday gig of the Toten Hosen. The fact that hip hop does not need to be "ashamed" at a rock festival was proven in the most impressive way by Greis, Blumentopf and especially German rapper Sido.

Around 78,000 visitors over four days brought the Swiss festival summer to a good close. The musical highlights were the performances of the epic rockers Nightwish with their brilliant pyro show and the top German bands Beatsteaks, Die Fantastischen Vier and Fettes Brot. The performances of the Canadian singer/songwriter Justin Nozuka, the Danish newcomer band Grand Avenue and, above all, the concert by the English independent band The Hossiers can be described as discoveries. Stefanie Heinzmann experienced her baptism of fire in 'Gampel' on the main stage. Accompanied by a 12-piece band, the Valaisan celebrated a lot of joy in playing, which finally culminated in a homage to her home canton with the song "Chumm ins Wallis".

The 21st edition of the Open Air Gampel ended with a new attendance record: For the first time in its 21st year history, the limit of 80'000 visitors was cracked. This success was due on the one hand to the musical rejuvenation in the direction of 'rock' and on the other hand to the excellent weather. On Thursday evening, the two headliners Seeed and The Prodigy were particularly convincing. Friday evening was clearly dominated by the British top-shot Muse. Their show will go down in the annals of 'Gampel' and can only be described with superlatives. Saturday evening brought, among others, the Swedish rock combo Mando Diao and the Scots Franz Ferdinand, the very best kind of rock. Also on the final day Jovanotti and Patent Ochsner heated up the numerous audience mightily.

The Open Air Gampel broke all records again in 2004: A total of 79,000 visitors attended the festival in Valais on the third weekend in August. This means that the previous year's record was increased by an incredible 25,000 visitors - albeit on four days, rather than on three days as was the case last year. With this unexpected attendance, 'Gampel' clearly became the number one in German-speaking Switzerland in terms of visitors! Musically, P!nk on Thursday, Die Toten Hosen on Friday, The Rasmus, The Offspring and Dick Brave & the Backseats on Saturday and Everlast and Toto on Sunday were convincing. For the first time, thenational broadcaster DRS3 broadcast "live uf dr Gass" the Valais Festival.

What no one believed, the Gampjer also managed in 2002: A new visitor record! With 46'336 visitors, the previous year's record result could be increased by 3'000 visitors. And the fact that the weather also played along can be called a well-deserved crowning glory of this major event in the Valais. On Friday, raggae star Gentleman, Die Happy and H-Blockx - all from Germany - were particularly convincing musically. Motörhead, the supposed headliner of Friday, could not convince the whole audience equally. Many found their hard sound simply too harsh and therefore preferred to watch the action on the main stage from afar. Saturday took place in front of a sold-out crowd: Around 18'000 visitors enjoyed the three headliners Nek and UB40. As expected, Sunday was the real highlight of this festival summer from a Swiss perspective: With Patent Ochsner, Züri West and Polo Hofer & Schmetterband, three big names played together on one stage for the first time ever in one afternoon.

In 2000, Gampel already celebrated its 15th anniversary. And this birthday was celebrated extensively with a new spectator record of 36'500 spectators. For the first time in its history Gampel could announce "sold out". Mainly responsible for this record is without doubt the performance of the legendary Woodstock veteran Joe Cocker on Saturday. The highlight of Friday can be called Die Fantastischen Vier. The German rappers celebrated on stage with incredible power their very big hits "Die da" to "MfG".

The poster from 1998 is based on a somewhat misshapen figure by the Visper artist Maria Ceppi. Hardly any other poster in the 15 year history of the Open Air polarized as much as this one! For the first time Roman Pfammatter, owner of the artist agency Artistpool, was in charge of the program. He immediately succeeded in creating a musical drumbeat! The cult band The Cure came to Gampel. The dressing room of singer Robert Smith had to be specially decorated. It had to be darkened and instead of light he only wanted candles! In addition, Dog Eat Dog, the Leningrad Cowboys, Gotthard, Del Amitri and Jethro Thull also performed.

In 1996 techno was in, like never after. The organizers wanted to take this into account and provided the visitors with a techno tent. All night long the techno disciples could dance there. However, this also provoked complaints from visitors to the campsite and other residents, as they felt disturbed in their night's rest. Musically, the headliners were Manfred Man's Earth Band, Vaya Con Dios, Freak Power, Züri West and also a then unknown band called Lovebugs. But again Marla Glen wrote history. After getting lost on her way to Wallis in 1994 and thus arriving too late for her gig, she was anything but absent in 1996. Her party after her concert is legendary. The manager's search for her as well...

Musically, the Gampjers offered a wide range in 1994: Midnight Oil, Zucchero, The Pogues, Die Toten Hosen and for the first time the Gamplerin Sina, who just in this year with her first CD appeared at the top of the national charts. Another classy woman, however, wrote the more interesting story: Marla Glen got lost on her way to Wallis and arrived in Gampel - but too late. Unfortunately, the organizers had to cancel her gig.

After the unsuccessful excursion to Raron, the Open Air moved back to Gampel in 1992 to the site that is still valid today. It was the year of consolidation. And yet the organizers were able to put together a great music program. Marillion, John Parr and Gotthard played.

For the first time in 1990, the Open Air was held on the current site - clearly on a much smaller scale. For the first time, the organizers had to cope with a weighty cancellation: Guesch Patti, who was at the top of the charts with "Etienne", had to cancel the gig for health reasons. Uriah Heep were a worthy replacement and thus made their second appearance in Gampel after 1987. In addition, the Austrian Etta Scollo, the original rockers Rare Earth, Luther Alison and the Upper Valais rock bands Family Force and FBI also performed.

In 1988, the open air was called "International Rockfest" for the first time. The guard of Swiss rockers Jammin' the Blues and Polo Hofer made the festival a financial success despite the rain. As in the previous year, a good 3,000 visitors made the pilgrimage to the Hangar. Nazareth played as the absolute headliner.

In 1986, on the initiative of the Gampl rock band Family Force and the music & light equipment company FREEPOWER MUSIC, a rock festival was held for the first time. Family Force wanted to show their musical skills at a bigger gig. The rock festival lasted only 1 day and took place at the old sports ground in Gampel. A camion trailer served as an improvised stage. Despite the rain, 500 people visited this rock festival. Headliners of the first rock festival were besides Family Force the Bernese Span.