Arosa Humorfestival 2026: how to plan the weekend

The Arosa Humorfestival 2026 runs from 3 to 13 December, the 35th edition, with most shows in a heated circus tent at the Tschuggenhütte at 2,000 m, in the Arosa Lenzerheide ski area above the village. Hotel Altein is 500 m from Arosa railway station, and the Weisshorn cable car that takes you up to the tent leaves from beside the station. This guide covers the dates and venues, tickets and prices, the confirmed acts, the route from the hotel to the tent in the snow, what to do by day while the ski area is opening, and when to book a room or the festival package before the December weekends are fully booked.

Dates and venues for the Arosa Humorfestival 2026

The festival runs for 11 days, Thursday 3 December to Sunday 13 December 2026, and has been held every December since 1991. Most acts perform in German or Swiss German, so choose the musical and visual shows if you do not follow German. The full programme was published in June 2026 on humorfestival.swiss, with a day-by-day listing and a printable festival guide.

3 stages, one on the mountain

The main venue is the red and blue circus tent next to the Tschuggenhütte at 2,000 m, in the middle of the ski area. It is heated, all seats are numbered, and a foyer tent holds a bar and an information stand that also sells tickets. The second stage is the Blatter-Bühne, on the Untere Waldpromenade above the village centre, for the smaller cabaret evenings. The third is the Güterschuppen, the old goods shed at the railway station, where the late Nightsession has free seating. Tent shows start at 17:00 and 21:00, Blatter-Bühne shows at 21:00, and each runs about 120 minutes with a 20 to 30 minute break. Doors to the foyer tent open one hour before the show and to the main tent 30 minutes before.

The awards

The Arosa Humorfüller, a fountain pen, goes each year to an artist performing that edition for their career so far; Michael Mittermeier received it in 2009 and Olaf Schubert in 2025. The Arosa Humorschaufel, a snow shovel, goes to a public figure with a sense of humour, and since 2023 the patrons' club has awarded the title Dr. Humoris Causa.

Tickets and prices for 2026

Public ticket sales opened on 9 September 2026 through Ticketcorner, after a presale from 10 June reserved for the partner hotels. Prices are per show, exclusive of booking fees:

• Festival tent, seat: about CHF 70
• Festival tent, VIP sector without catering: about CHF 85, closer to the stage with more legroom
• Festival tent, VIP with table: about CHF 150, includes wine, water and a Bündner platter during the show
• Blatter-Bühne: about CHF 60
• Nightsession in the Güterschuppen: about CHF 35
• Festival pass: about CHF 1,100 for every show with a fixed seat

A tent ticket includes the Arosa-Weisshorn cable car up and down to the middle station, or the Kulm gondola up from Innerarosa; the QR code on the ticket opens the turnstile. Tickets are not refunded unless a show is cancelled, but they are not personalised, so you can pass one on. The organiser recommends the festival from age 12, there are no child prices, and dogs are not allowed in the venues.

All prices and times here are approximate and given as a guide. The Arosa Humorfestival sets its own ticket prices and adjusts them from season to season, so check the current details on humorfestival.swiss before you go.

Who is on the 2026 line-up

The anniversary programme mixes German and Swiss names. Charles Nguela opens the tent on 3 December at 21:00 with his stand-up show Timing. Marc Sway & Band play the tent on 9 December. Michael Mittermeier brings a new programme, Oldboy, to Arosa on 10 December at 17:00, his first performance of it in Switzerland. Tahnee follows on 11 December, Stefan Büsser on 12 December, and Florian Schroeder closes the festival on Sunday 13 December with his satirical review of the year. The Best of Arosa Humorfestival TV shows are recorded in the tent on 7 and 8 December. The complete list with show times is on the Humorfestival programme page, and our Arosa Humorfestival event page carries the practical summary.

Getting from Hotel Altein to the festival tent

Altein is not on the mountain and not next to the tent. The Weisshorn cable car valley station is 600 m from the hotel, 9 minutes on foot, right beside the railway station. The free ski bus stops outside the hotel, and the Arosa local bus is free to ride during the festival. From the valley station the cable car takes you to the middle station, and from there it is a 10 to 15 minute walk along a winter trail to the tent. The path is marked with solar torches but not fully lit, so bring a phone torch or head lamp and wear shoes with a grippy sole, because the snow is packed and can be slippery at 2,000 m. Allow 40 minutes from the hotel to your seat in the tent. The cable car hours for the festival evenings are published on humorfestival.swiss closer to December.

If you drive, the road from Chur climbs 30 km and 360 bends in about 40 minutes. The hotel has indoor parking at CHF 16 per night.

What to do during the day

The festival falls in the ski area's pre-season. Arosa Lenzerheide runs daily partial operation from 28 November to 18 December 2026, opening lifts and pistes as the snow builds, with full operation from 19 December, so check the live lift report before you go skiing. Hotel guests get 15 percent off ski hire at Carmenna Sport, and children aged 4 to 17 staying 2 nights or more get a free half-day group lesson per night.

Off the slopes, the Obersee is 300 m from the hotel, 5 minutes on foot, and the ice sports hall and open-air curling rink are 400 m away. Sledges cost CHF 8 to hire at reception. The spa at Altein covers 950 m² with an indoor pool, lazy river, saunas, steam bath and fitness room, and day guests pay CHF 35 in winter.

For a 21:00 show, plan dinner before you go up. Zus Brasserie serves half board, the Alpensand Panoramic Restaurant is on the rooftop, and the Alchemilla Parlour Bar reopens for the winter on 2 December 2026, 9 minutes on foot from the cable car for a drink after the last descent. Our guide to where to eat in Arosa lists the village options, and the hotel's restaurants and bars page has the winter hours.

When to book

The hotel's winter season opens on 2 December 2026, one day before the festival, and the festival weekends of 4 to 6 and 11 to 13 December are the first full weekends of the season. Popular shows sell out early, the Saturday tent shows first. Two ways to secure a seat:

• Room plus ticket: the Humorfestival package at Hotel Altein starts from CHF 200 per person per night with breakfast, a reserved festival ticket and spa access, booked directly by phone on +41 81 378 86 86 or by email to info@altein.ch, while the hotel's ticket allocation lasts.
• Room and ticket separately: book a room at Hotel Altein online, then buy the show you want on Ticketcorner.

Arosa station is 500 m from the door, 8 minutes on foot, so you can arrive by train in the afternoon, check in from 15:00 and reach the valley station in time for a 17:00 show. Come and spend a festival weekend with us in Arosa.

Altein, Arosa, a Faern Collection Resort.

Questions guests ask

Is the Arosa Humorfestival in German?

Most shows are in German or Swiss German. Music and visual comedy acts, such as the Comedy & Beats evening and Marc Sway & Band, can be followed without German.

Do I need a ski pass to reach the tent?

No. The tent ticket includes the Weisshorn cable car to and from the middle station. The tent is heated, but the 10 to 15 minute walk from the middle station is outdoors at 2,000 m, so dress for snow and bring a torch.

Hero image: © Stefan Bohrer / Arosa Humorfestival