Swiss National Day in Sils 2026 - celebrate 1 August
On Saturday 1 August 2026, Sils Maria marks Swiss National Day with the Festa dals 1. Avuost a Segl, running from 16:00 to about 22:30. The village has rebuilt the evening around a new format this year, and Hotel Schweizerhof stands a few minutes' walk from all of it.
The event
Sils Tourismus has moved the celebration onto Via da Marias, the village's main street, which becomes a promenade for the evening. Rather than gathering everyone on one square, the programme spreads along the road in an open format: you walk it, stop where something catches you, and carry on. It suits a summer evening at 1,800 metres, when the light holds late and the air off the lake cools slowly.
Music runs through the whole evening. The Engadine cover band Dog on the Feet plays, alongside the Societed da musica Silvaplauna, and there is entertainment for children along the route. The centrepiece is the National Day address by Linard Bardill and the historian Karsten Plöger, who speak on life in the mountains then and now, drawing a line from the solidarity and responsibility of earlier generations to what the valley is dealing with today.
Food carries equal weight. Sils Tourismus and local restaurants lay a long table in the village centre and serve grilled dishes, raclette, Bündner specialities, and desserts both savoury and sweet. Residents are asked to hang flags from their houses and apartments to dress the street for the evening.
A note on fireworks
The municipality of Sils bans fireworks year round, National Day included, to protect the wildlife and the quiet of the valley. The evening runs on music and company instead.
Practical information
When: Saturday 1 August 2026, 16:00 to 22:30
Where: Via da Marias, Sils Maria village centre
Format: open programme along the street, no registration
Entry: free
Getting there: on foot from anywhere in Sils Maria, or by Postbus to Sils/Segl Maria Posta
Programme: Sils Tourismus publishes the detailed timetable ahead of the day
Organiser: Sils Tourismus
Plan your stay
Hotel Schweizerhof sits on Via da Fex, a couple of minutes from Via da Marias, so you can join the evening when you feel like it and be back in your room without planning a route. Dinner in the restaurant before you head out works well with a 16:00 start, and the spa is a good way to spend the morning after. Come and mark the national holiday with us in Sils Maria.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Sils Maria celebrate Swiss National Day?
Sils Maria marks the day with the Festa dals 1. Avuost a Segl, organised by Sils Tourismus. For 2026 the celebration moves onto Via da Marias, the main street, which becomes an open promenade for the evening. Music runs throughout, with the band Dog on the Feet, the Societed da musica Silvaplauna, entertainment for children and a National Day address by Linard Bardill and historian Karsten Plöger.
When does the National Day celebration take place?
The festa runs on Saturday 1 August 2026, from 16:00 to about 22:30. Sils Tourismus publishes the detailed timetable ahead of the day. At 1,800 metres the summer light holds late and the air off the lake cools slowly through the evening.
Is the celebration free, and what food is served?
Entry is free and no registration is needed. Sils Tourismus and local restaurants lay a long table in the village centre serving grilled dishes, raclette, Bündner specialities, and desserts both savoury and sweet. Residents hang flags from their houses to dress the street for the evening.
Will there be fireworks, and how do I get there?
No, the municipality of Sils bans fireworks year round, National Day included, to protect the wildlife and the quiet of the valley. The evening runs on music and company instead. The festa is reached on foot from anywhere in Sils Maria, or by Postbus to the Sils/Segl Maria Posta stop.
Why stay at Hotel Schweizerhof for 1 August?
Hotel Schweizerhof sits on Via da Fex, a couple of minutes from Via da Marias, so you can join the evening whenever you feel like it and be back in your room without planning a route. Dinner at the Arvenstube or Restaurant Vuolp d'Or before you head out works well with the 16:00 start. A morning by Lake Sils rounds out the holiday weekend.