The programme in November

Dear visitors to Gessnerallee, dear artists

Hold on, take a deep breath, stay calm, and enjoy. November at the Gessnerallee is set to be post-foreign, musical, feminist, journalistic, cosy, multi-layered and loud. It’s worth buying tickets now: for some performances, they’re starting to run out, whilst others are already sold out.

Deeper insights for bookfoxes

‘How do we prevent femicides?’ – CORRECTIV.Schweiz

4 November, 7.30 pm

Around 115 women and girls have been killed in Switzerland over the past five years by men from within their family circle. Despite preventive measures, femicides continue to occur – including those committed by perpetrators already known to the authorities.

CORRECTIV.Schweiz discusses with Mathis Kelemen from the St. Gallen cantonal police, Pia Allemann from the BIF counselling centre and legal psychologist Astrid Rossegger what effective protection against violence might look like. Tickets

‘MOUMOUNI LATE NIGHT SHOW’ – Fatima Moumouni & Guests

6 November, 8.00 pm

‘Lueg mal d Schwiiz aa!’ DIASBOAH’s late-night show enters its third series with Fatima Moumouni as host. Swiss current affairs are explored through a mix of gossip, political analysis and entertainment. Followed by a party with MALEFI SOUNDSYSTEM. The show is almost sold out, but it’s still worth popping along to the box office for any remaining tickets – or marking 15 May 2027 in bold on your calendar. That’s when the ‘MOUMOUNI LATE NIGHT SHOW’ enters its fourth series. We’ll announce when advance ticket sales start here in the weekly newsletter.

‘KNOR – EVERY NOW AND THEN – RELEASE FEST!’

7 November, 9.00 pm

Zurich-based musician Georg Bleikolm returns to the concert stage with a new album. A magical mix of Krautrock, desert rock, psychedelia and electro. Tickets

‘Batbait’ – Children’s concert

8 November, 3.00 pm

When patriarchy falters, Batbait resonates. By combining sound and content, the four musicians develop a sound that defies all rock sub-genre boundaries and forges its own path – radical and independent. Tickets

‘ICH.KRIEG. DIE.KRISE – Young People Tell Their Stories’ – artasfoundation

11 November, 5.30 pm

With theatre and film-makers Simon Labhart and Markus Strobl, alongside young people from the theatre project ‘ICH.KRIEG.DIE.KRISE’. About growing up amidst war, crisis and militarisation – and what theatre can offer as a counterpoint. Free admission.

‘Pigeons Shirt $9.99’ – PRICE

12 and 14 November, 8.00 pm on both days

Zurich-based artist PRICE transforms the launch of his new album into a performative concert. Blending advertising, costume, set design, sound and scent, he creates a universe of desire, repetition and new music. Featuring T-shirts and lots of pigeons. Tickets

‘strike’ – Wu Tsang, Moved by the Motion & NTGent

16 to 18 November, 8.00 pm each night

In their latest performance, Wu Tsang and Moved by the Motion deconstruct the myth of the opera character Carmen and reassemble it using flamenco, live improvisation, sound and video. A multi-layered exploration of violence, rhythm and resistance. Tickets

‘volumes art publishing days’

21 November, 12 noon–8 pm, and 22 November, 11 am–6 pm

The two-day fair for zines and art books is back at the Gessnerallee. The focus is on a diverse selection of publishers and artists who work with small-scale production methods and present their works to a wide audience. For the first time, the fair will take place on Saturday from 12 noon to 1 pm and on Sunday from 11 am to 12 noon in a low-key atmosphere. Admission is free.

‘Take a seat – have a seat’ – ‘Papierlose Zeitung’

27 November, 8 pm

Most of the time, people talk about migrants – rather than with them. In the ‘Papierlose Zeitung’ published by the Autonomous School Zurich, migrants themselves recount their lives and share their views on migration and politics. Personal, journalistic and poetic. Free entry.

Furthermore

We’d like to draw your attention to three calls for applications. One is for a workshop at Gessnerallee and two are for leadership positions becoming available at partner institutions.

Taking the figure of the zombie as her starting point, the Italian performance artist and choreographer Chiara Bersani invites us to rethink movement. The workshop ‘Keep Going Like Zombies: Moving Forward to Rethink the Movement’ on 27 November explores, both physically and conceptually, the possibility of moving forward. It is aimed at people who enjoy movement and would like to be part of a group, with or without mobility impairments and with or without performance experience. Registration closes on 31 October 2026. More information

To implement the new operational concept, Plan D, the Dampfzentrale association is seeking a new artistic director. The Dampfzentrale Bern is a home for professional independent artists in the fields of dance, performance and music. Set within the atmosphere of the former industrial complex, it offers the public a diverse and exciting programme. More information

The City of Zurich is seeking a new festival director for the Zürcher Theater Spektakel, to take up the post from the 2028 edition of the festival. They are looking for “a figure with a strong artistic profile, strong leadership skills and an international network, who, together with an experienced team, will shape and further develop the festival”. The festival director will assume overall artistic and strategic responsibility and will shape the festival’s next phase of development and transformation. Further information

We wish you a lovely November!

The Gessnerallee team