Basel Tattoo: dates, tickets, programme at the Kaserne and getting there
Every July the Basel Tattoo fills the Kaserne with pipe bands, military music and dance. What is known about 2027, what tickets cost in 2026, when children go free, what the parade offers and how to plan your room and the way back.
The Basel Tattoo is an arena show of military music, pipe bands, drummers and dance, staged every summer in the courtyard of the Kaserne in Kleinbasel. In 2026 it ran from 17 July 2026 to 25 July 2026 with 11 performances and celebrated 20 years.
At the end of October 2026 the organiser had not yet published a full calendar for 2027. This page separates what is confirmed from what can be inferred from 2026, and explains tickets, children's prices, the parade, getting there and accommodation.
When is the Basel Tattoo 2027?
So far three performances are known, and not from the organiser but from an offer by the tour operator Schneider Reisen: 18 July at 7:30pm, 20 July at 9pm and 23 July at 9:30pm. That is not a full programme; the start, end and number of shows in 2027 are still open.
The 2026 pattern helps with planning: nine consecutive days, from a Friday to the Saturday of the following week, with one performance per evening and two on Saturdays. The three known 2027 dates fit into such a window in the second half of July.
Advance sales for 2026 began on 25 November 2025. If you want particular seats on a Saturday in 2027, keep an eye on the Basel Tattoo website from November 2026.
What did the 2026 programme look like?
| Day 2026 | Performance |
|---|---|
| Friday 17 July | time not itemised by Basel Life |
| Saturday 18 July | 5:30pm and 9:30pm, plus the parade |
| Sunday 19 July | 7:30pm |
| Monday to Wednesday, 20 to 22 July | 9pm |
| Thursday and Friday, 23 and 24 July | 9:30pm |
| Saturday 25 July | 5:30pm and an evening performance, plus the children's day |
The source mentions eleven shows but does not clearly list all eleven: the performance on Friday 17 July and the second one on 25 July are missing from the detail. In total there were two early performances at 5:30pm, one at 7:30pm and eight at 9pm or 9:30pm.
According to mvp.de, a performance lasts about two hours. Whether an interval and entry are included is not stated, so if you start at 9:30pm you will hardly be out before midnight.
What did tickets cost?
| Performance 2026 | Price range | Children |
|---|---|---|
| Evening performances | 89 to 162 CHF | half price up to age 9 |
| Saturday, early performance | 75 to 145 CHF | free under 10, half price for ages 10 to 16 |
The range depends on the performance and category, and the sources do not give a full price list category by category. A low price you see online is usually the cheapest category on a quiet day.
In 2026 a family offer let two adults bring their first child under 16 for free, with each further child costing 25 CHF, in certain categories and performances. Skybox, Premium and Premium+ were excluded.
Prices for 2027 have not been published. One tour operator offers a coach trip for 2027 at 46 francs, which does not automatically include the show ticket.
Where do you buy tickets, and what about resale?
Officially through the Basel Tattoo shop, Ticketcorner in Switzerland and Eventim in Germany. During the 2026 performance days there was also a ticket office near the Kaserne tram stop.
- Last minute: there is no official discount for late purchases. "Tickets still available" does not mean good categories are free on a Saturday.
- Prices in euros: German sellers show euro prices that, with conversion and fees, may exceed the Swiss face value.
- Secondary market: the organiser publishes no rules on resale or name changes. Buy through the official channel, as a reseller's price is not the face value.
For the Tattoo's first weekend in July: the Saturday with the parade and two performances is the most sought-after day. The places to stay in Basel for mid-July 2027 can be filtered by location, and Kleinbasel is within walking distance of the Kaserne. If you spend the day before in town, there are tours and activities in Basel.
Compare places to stay in July →Partner link: booking through this link supports our editorial team at no extra cost to you.What do you see in the show?
Military bands and pipe bands, drum formations, marching choreography, Highland dancing and Irish dance, soloists and lighting that turns the Kaserne into an arena. Civilian groups add to the mix, opening the evening up towards folk and rock.
The 2026 line-up included the Scots Guards, the Irish Guards, the Norwegian King's Guard with its band and drill team, the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, the Canadiana Celtic Highland Dancers, the Kilgore College Rangerettes, the Blue Devils International Corps and Switzerland's Top Secret Drum Corps. The organiser promoted five world champions in piping, tenor drumming, drum majoring, Irish dance and Scottish dance.
The 2027 programme is not known. The Top Secret Drum Corps has been a fixture for years, but the sources do not confirm its participation in 2027.
How does Basel differ from Edinburgh?
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is staged on the esplanade in front of the castle, with a monumental backdrop and a long international tradition. Basel is more compact, in the middle of a residential and nightlife district and within walking distance of the Rhine.
The advantage is proximity: tram, hotel and restaurants are around the corner. The drawback is the crush around the Kaserne before and after performances, and neither event publishes comparable figures for seats or visitors in our sources.
Photo: Oporinus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What is free?
The arena show is not. In 2026 the parade through central Basel on 18 July, a children's day on 25 July and some public performances by the bands were free.
The organiser does not publish the parade route, times and best viewing spots in a way that allows planning ahead. A public event is not a seat either, so if you want a good view, get there early.
Photo: Ahmet Düz, Dreiländer- & Oberrheinfotograf, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Drums and piccolos in their own distinctly Basel form, incidentally, are heard not in July but in February. How the cliques march through the darkened Old Town at the Morgestraich is described in Basel Fasnacht.
When is it busiest?
There are no counts by day or time. The programme does, however, show when it gets tight.
- The first Saturday: parade and two performances, the busiest day.
- The last Saturday: children's day and the final shows.
- 8:30pm to 9:30pm: arrivals for the evening performances.
- After the show: trams, taxis and restaurants around the Kaserne.
- The early 5:30pm performances: for families, with dinner afterwards.
How do you get there, and back?
The arena is at Kasernenareal, Klybeckstrasse 1, 4057 Basel, and the Kaserne tram stop is the best reference point. From SBB station you cross the Rhine by tram; lines and tickets are in getting around Basel.
A car is hardly worth it: Kleinbasel is jammed on show evenings, and the nearest car parks and their free spaces are shown on Basel parking live. Guests at Basel accommodation ride the tram for free with the BaselCard, as explained in BaselCard and Mobility Ticket.
Plan your way back before a 9pm or 9:30pm performance. If you leave the arena after midnight, know which trams and night services are running, and if you need to cross the border, check the last connection.
Back after midnight: if you book a late performance, it is better to stay in town than to hope for a last connection. The mid-range hotels in Basel for late July 2027 around Kleinbasel and Badischer Bahnhof are within walking distance or one tram stop of the Kaserne.
See hotels for late July →Partner link: booking through this link supports our editorial team at no extra cost to you.Where should you stay for the Tattoo?
Friday and Saturday nights go first, so book them early and on a cancellable rate. Kleinbasel is closest, while SBB station and the tram routes to the Kaserne are just as practical; the districts are compared in where to stay in Basel.
A hotel right next to the Kaserne is not necessarily better: the area is noisy on show evenings, and the tram makes hotels further away just as convenient. Compare the total price, including visitor tax, breakfast and cancellation terms.
In Basel, July is also the season for the Rhine. If you want to swim during the day, entry points, rules and the Wickelfisch dry bag are covered in swimming in the Rhine in Basel, and what else summer offers is in the best time to visit Basel. A ready-made plan for the days before the show is in a weekend in Basel.
Sources: Basel Tattoo (tickets, FAQ, home page), Basel Life (2026 programme and prices, as of 18 July 2026), Canton of Basel-Stadt (Basel Tattoo event, German and English), Presseportal Switzerland (2026 programme and family offer), mvp.de (duration), Baselland Tourism, Schneider Reisen (2027 offer, as of 12 September 2026).
Frequently asked questions
When is the Basel Tattoo 2027?
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Do children go free at the Basel Tattoo?
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How long does the Basel Tattoo last?
Samuel Tschudin
Samuel spent eight years guiding groups through the Old Town, from Münsterplatz to the Rhine promenade. He builds his routes on foot, watch in hand, and cuts whatever does not fit into a real day. He would rather write that a visit is not worth the ticket than pad out a list.
