The 11th edition of the Histoire et Cité Festival will take over French-speaking Switzerland under the theme “As if by magic.” Check their program to find out what is going on in a city near you at this link.
Over the course of ten days, more than 250 speakers will present 135 free events—including lectures, films, panel discussions, tours, workshops, and performances—to explore the connections between science, belief, rationality, and the imagination.
Highlights of the Geneva edition
In Geneva, the festival will take on a large scale with 63 events organized from 24-29 March 2026, spread across Uni Dufour, the Bibliothèque de Genève, the MEG, and the Cinémas du Grütli.
- 24 March 2026: From India to Mars (18h30, Uni Dufour), an opening night dedicated to the Geneva-based medium Hélène Smith, an international figure in spiritualism studied in the late 19th century. An exploration of the connections between the spiritual sciences, occultism, and artistic creation.
- 25 March 2026: Screenings of Kirikou and the Sorceress and the cult film The Wicker Man at the Cinémas du Grütli.
- 26 March 2026: Cartography of Magical Geneva (Bibliothèque de Genève), offering a unique perspective on the city through its legends, occult affairs, and urban myths.
- 26 March 2026: The Magic of Finance (Uni Dufour), a roundtable discussion on contemporary economic imaginaries, from financial bubbles to cryptocurrencies.
- 28 March 2026: The Magic Scrolls of Christian Ethiopia (MEG), a special presentation of rarely seen talismanic objects.
Geneva emerges as a true testing ground for the tensions between scientific rationality, collective beliefs, and modern imaginations.
Highlights of the Neuchâtel edition:
- 27 March 2026: Une histoire de la biodynamie: philosophies et pratiques régénératrices (18h30, Château de Boudry, Musée de la vigne et du vin).
- 28 March 2026: Aux frontières de l’invisible: magie et croyances dans l’Arc jurassien (17h30, Théâtre du Passage , Salle Studio).
Festival Histoire et Cité
20-29 March 2026
Fribourg, Geneva, Lausanne, Neuchâtel, Valais
https://histoire-cite.ch
