Events in the year 2024 in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

Incumbents

President of the Swiss Confederation The president of the Swiss Confederation, also known as the president of the Confederation or colloquially as the president of Switzerland, is the head of Switzerland's seven-member Federal Council (Switzerland), Federal Council, the country's ...

Viola Amherd Viola Patricia Amherd (born 7 June 1962) is a Swiss politician who has served as a Member of the Swiss Federal Council since 2019. She is the head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport. Amherd was a member of the Chris ...

* President of the National Council: Eric Nussbaumer *

President of the Swiss Council of States This is a list of presidents of the Swiss Council of States, the upper house of the Federal Assembly. List {, border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" style="border-collapse: collapse" class=sortable , --- style="background:#efefef" ! Year ! N ...

: Eva Herzog

Events

February

* 20 February – In

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

Genève-Servette HC The Genève-Servette HC (also called Servette or GSHC) is a professional ice hockey club based in Geneva, Switzerland and competing in the National League (NL), the top tier of the Swiss hockey league system. The team plays their home games at the ...

of the Swiss National League wins their first Champions Hockey League title, defeating Skellefteå AIK of the

Swedish Hockey League The Swedish Hockey League (officially SHL; sv, Svenska Hockeyligan) is a professional ice hockey league, and the highest division in the Swedish ice hockey system. The league currently consists of 14 teams. The league was founded in 1975, an ...

3–2 in the final.

March

* 3 March – 2024 Swiss referendums: Voters accept the initiative to increase monthly pensions, but reject raising the retirement age. *11 March – Five

skiers Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IO ...

are found dead after they went missing two days ago en route from

Zermatt Zermatt () is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a year-round population of about 5,800 and is classified as a town by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO). ...

to the village of

Arolla Arolla is a village in the municipality of Evolène in the Swiss canton of Valais. It is situated at the end of the Val d'Hérens, south of the cantonal capital, Sion. Geography Arolla is situated at 1998 m above sea level, at the foot of ...

. A sixth person is still missing. * 30 March–7 April – The

2024 World Men's Curling Championship The World Curling Championships are the annual world championships for curling, organized by the World Curling Federation and contested by national championship teams. There are men's, women's and mixed doubles championships, as well as men's an ...

at Schaffhausen.

April

*9 April – The

European Court of Human Rights The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR or ECtHR), also known as the Strasbourg Court, is an international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights. The court hears applications alleging that a ...

rules that the Swiss government's efforts to tackle climate change are insufficient and violate fundamental human rights, in its first such verdict against a state on the issue, following a lawsuit filed by about 2,500 members of the group Senior Women for Climate Protection. *17 April – The Federal Assembly votes to ban public displays of the

Nazi swastika The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. It ...

May

*11 May – Swiss singer

Nemo Nemo may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Games * ''Nemo'' (arcade game), a 1990 arcade game by Capcom based on ''Little Nemo'' * NEMO (video game console), an unreleased console Music * Nemo (American band), an indie rock band * Nemo ...

wins the

Eurovision Song Contest 2024 The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 is set to be the 68th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It is scheduled to take place in Malmö, Sweden, following the country's victory at the with the song "Tattoo" by Loreen. Organised by the Euro ...

Malmö Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal populat ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

with his song '' The Code''. *15 May – In a suspected terrorist attack, a man stabs six people in

Zofingen Zofingen (french: Zofingue) is a city in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. It is the capital of the district of Zofingen. Zofingen is a walled city and home of an ancient monastic settlement. History In ancient times Zofingen was a settleme ...

June

*9 June – 2024 Swiss referendums: Voters reject limits on healthcare spending and an initiative against compulsory vaccination, while approving the initiative of a new law on electricity. *13 June – Two people are killed and 11 others are injured following a series of explosions inside an underground parking garage at an apartment building in Obersiggenthal. *15-16 June – June 2024 Ukraine peace summit: World leaders meet at the

Bürgenstock Resort The Bürgenstock Resort (also Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne) is a Swiss hotel and tourism complex situated above Lake Lucerne in Canton Nidwalden. The resort is located on the Bürgenberg and comprises a total of 30 buildings, including four ...

to advance the Ukrainian peace process. *21 June – A court in

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

sentences billionaire

Prakash Hinduja Prakash Parmanand Hinduja ( Sindhi: پرڪاش ھندوجا) (born June 1945) is an Indian-born Swiss businessman, the chairman of the Hinduja Group in Europe. Early life Prakash Parmanand Hinduja was born in June 1945, the son of Parmanand H ...

and three of his family members to four years in prison for exploiting domestic workers at their villa in

Cologny Cologny () is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. History Cologny is first mentioned in 1208 as ''Colognier''. The oldest trace of a settlement in the area is a Neolithic lake side village which ...

. *22 June – One person is killed and two others are reported missing after a rockslide hits the town of Lostallo in Graubünden. *25 June – The

Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is the parliamentary arm of the Council of Europe, a 46-nation international organisation dedicated to upholding human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The Assembly is made up o ...

elects former Swiss president

Alain Berset Alain Berset (; born 9 April 1972) is a Swiss politician who has served as a Member of the Swiss Federal Council since 2012. A member of the Social Democratic Party (SP/PS), he has headed the Federal Department of Home Affairs since he took offi ...

as the

Council A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...

's new Secretary General, succeeding Marija Pejčinović Burić. *30 June – Four people are killed and two are missing after landslides and torrential floods in

Ticino Ticino (), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino,, informally ''Canton Ticino'' ; lmo, Canton Tesin ; german: Kanton Tessin ; french: Canton du Tessin ; rm, Chantun dal Tessin . ...

and

Valais Valais ( , , ; frp, Valês; german: Wallis ), more formally the Canton of Valais,; german: Kanton Wallis; in other official Swiss languages outside Valais: it, (Canton) Vallese ; rm, (Chantun) Vallais. is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 ...

July

*11 July – Five people are injured in a machete attack inside an apartment in Saint Gallen. The suspect is arrested. *12 July – Three people are killed and eight others are injured after scaffolding falls off an under construction building in

Lausanne , neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR-74), ...

. *23 July – The United States invites Sudan's military and the Rapid Support Forces to

ceasefire A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state act ...

talks in Switzerland on August 14.

August

* 28 August – The Federal Criminal Court of Switzerland convicts two PetroSaudi executives to six and seven years in prison respectively for embezzling more than US$1.8 billion from the

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

n strategic development firm

1Malaysia Development Berhad 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB; ) is an insolvent Malaysian strategic development company, wholly owned by the Minister of Finance (Incorporated). 1MDB was established to drive strategic initiatives for long-term economic development ...

. * 30 August –

Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...

is selected to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, defeating a rival bid from

Scheduled

* 28 November–15 December – The

2024 European Women's Handball Championship The 2024 European Women's Handball Championship will be held in Austria, Hungary and Switzerland from 28 November to 15 December 2024. This will be the first tournament to feature 24 teams. Bidding process The vote took place on 25 January 2020 ...

Art and entertainment

* List of Swiss submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

Holidays

: * 1 January - New Year's Day * 2 January - Berchtoldstag Day * 6 January -

Epiphany Epiphany may refer to: * Epiphany (feeling), an experience of sudden and striking insight Religion * Epiphany (holiday), a Christian holiday celebrating the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ ** Epiphany season, or Epiph ...

* 1 March - Republic Day * 19 March - Saint Joseph's Day * 29 March -

Good Friday Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Hol ...

* 1 April -

Easter Monday Easter Monday refers to the day after Easter Sunday in either the Eastern or Western Christian traditions. It is a public holiday in some countries. It is the second day of Eastertide. In Western Christianity, it marks the second day of the Octa ...

* 4 April - Näfels Ride * 1 May -

International Workers' Day International Workers' Day, also known as Labour Day in some countries and often referred to as May Day, is a celebration of labourers and the working classes that is promoted by the international labour movement and occurs every year on 1 May, ...

* 9 May -

Ascension Day The Solemnity of the Ascension of Jesus Christ, also called Ascension Day, Ascension Thursday, or sometimes Holy Thursday, commemorates the Christian belief of the bodily Ascension of Jesus into heaven. It is one of the ecumenical (i.e., shared b ...

* 20 May -

Whit Monday Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday, also known as Monday of the Holy Spirit, is the holiday celebrated the day after Pentecost, a moveable feast in the Christian liturgical calendar. It is moveable because it is determined by the date of Easter. I ...

* 30 May - Corpus Christi * 29 June -

Saints Peter and Paul Peter and Paul may refer to: * Saint Peter and Paul the Apostle considered together ** Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, 29 June in the Catholic liturgical calendar ** St. Peter and St. Paul's Church (disambiguation) * ''Peter and Paul'' (film), 1 ...

* 1 August -

Swiss National Day The Swiss National Day (german: Schweizer Bundesfeiertag; french: Fête nationale suisse; it, Festa nazionale svizzera; Romansh: Festa naziunala svizra) is the national holiday of Switzerland, set on 1 August. Although the founding of the Swis ...

* 15 August - Assumption Day * 5 September -

Jeûne genevois Jeûne genevois (meaning Genevan fast) is a public holiday in the canton of Geneva, Switzerland which occurs on the Thursday following the first Sunday of September. It dates back to the 16th century. Background The Swiss Federal Diets of 1480 a ...

* 15 September - Lundi du Jeûne * 25 September - Saint Nicholas of Flüe Day * 1 November -

All Saints' Day All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, the Feast of All Saints, the Feast of All Hallows, the Solemnity of All Saints, and Hallowmas, is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honour of all the saints of the church, whether they are know ...

* 8 December – Immaculate Conception * 25 December -

Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...

* 26 December –

Saint Stephen's Day Saint Stephen's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Stephen, is a Christian saint's day to commemorate Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr or protomartyr, celebrated on 26 December in Western Christianity and 27 December in Eastern Chri ...

* 31 December – Restoration Day

Deaths

* 1 January – Niklaus Wirth, 89, computer scientist (

Pascal Pascal, Pascal's or PASCAL may refer to: People and fictional characters * Pascal (given name), including a list of people with the name * Pascal (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name ** Blaise Pascal, Fren ...

). * 6 January – Kurt W. Forster, 88, architecture historian and teacher. * 14 January –

Christophe Boesch Christophe Boesch (born 11 August 1951 in St. Gallen, Switzerland) is a primatologist who studies chimpanzees. He and his wife work together, and he has both written articles and directed documentaries about chimpanzees. He is of French and Swiss ...

, 72, French-Swiss primatologist. * 20 January –

Jacques Guhl Ancient and noble French family names, Jacques, Jacq, or James are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are over ...

, 101, writer, poet, and footballer (

Lausanne-Sport FC Lausanne–Sport (also referred to as LS) is a Swiss football club based in Lausanne in the canton of Vaud. Founded in 1896, Lausanne Sport played in the Swiss Super League in their most recent 2021-22 season, the highest tier of football i ...

Sion Sion may refer to * an alternative transliteration of Zion People * Sion (name) or Siôn, a Welsh and other given name and surname, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Shion or Sion, a Japanese given name Plac ...

). * 29 May – Claude Torracinta, 89, Swiss journalist.

References

External links

Online calendar
{{Year in Europe, 2024

2020s in Switzerland

Years of the 21st century in Switzerland