Switzerland has long been famed for its neutrality and with this event originally started as the Nyon Folk Festival in 1976 it’s fair to say it never set out ruffle any feathers.
In 1986 the festival rebranded as Paléo Festival Nyon with James Brown kicking things into overdrive and leaving neutrality in the ditch for a future of big artists, big lineups and even bigger crowds.
A year later and this time The Beach Boys were surviving torrential rain and since then it has grown gradually into one of Euope’s biggest mainland music festivals.
Its growing success has culminated in over 3.5 million spectators and 2500 artists appearing at Paléo.
From 1997 onwards the likes of Portishead, The Prodigy, Iggy Pop, Beck, Muse, Oasis, Massive Attack, Pixies and Arctic Monkeys amongst many others have played the event.
In 2013 alone Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Blur, The Smashing Pumpkins, Sigur Ros and Alt-J drew 230,000 festivalgoers and contributed to Paléo’s best year yet.
Much like it’s European counterparts this festival is huge, but highly organised, and with enough bits, bobs and attractions featured throughout the grounds to ensure that the festival will be an unforgettable experience.
Paléo 2014 – Clip de présentation by paleo
Lineup
Of the plethora of European lineups being announced for the 2014 season Paléo offers one of the more unique selections of acts.
Given their recent albums or inclusions on other bills the additions of The National, The Prodigy, MIA, James Vincent McMorrow, Jake Bugg, Jagwar Ma, Placebo and Jack Johnson comes with little surprise.
However the headliner in Sir Elton John is what sets Paléo apart from its contemporaries. The Jared Leto fronted Thiry Seconds To Mars will also headline alongside with James Blunt making for an interesting choice as one of the other big name acts set to appear at the event.
Check out the full lineup here.
Where And When
Paléo is held in the Swiss town of Nyon from the 22nd to the 27th of July. The event is held at the festival’s 84-hectare Asse site, which is situated above Nyon.
How To Get There
Flights to the nearby city of Geneva are probably your best bet for travel however alternative European flight plans can be made.
The following are a list of estimated airfares from major Australia cities that were available at the time of writing.
Punters can choose from airlines such as Qantas, Singapore Airlines, KLM, Emirates, Cathay Pacific and Qatar Airways.
Adelaide: One-stop flights are valued in excess of $2600, while two-stop journeys are worth upwards of $2200.
Brisbane: One-stop flights are valued in excess of $2300, while two-stop journeys are worth upwards of $2000.
Melbourne: One-stop flights are valued in excess of $2200, while two-stop journeys are worth upwards of $1900.
Perth: One-stop flights are valued in excess of $2100, while two-stop journeys are worth upwards of $2000.
Sydney: One-stop flights are valued in excess of $2200, while two-stop journeys are worth upwards of $2000.
From International Airport of Geneva punters can catch a train that goes directly to Nyon with only 15 minutes travel time. A return ticket for the train is valued around $20 Australian.
From Nyon free shuttle trains run to the festival site every 10-30 minutes.
Where To Stay
The majority of the hotels in the area of Nyon are booked out well in advance. While you may wish to seek accommodation in the nearby areas of Geneva, Rolle, Morges or Lausanne camping is probably your easiest option.
The campsite does include showers, although that’ll set you back four Swiss Francs or 15 for five showers.
How To Get Tickets
The 200,000 or so tickets to this event sold out within six hours of the onsale time. However there are still a few chances to get your hands on a four, five and six day festival pass.
From May 7th the festival will launch their very own ticket market for those looking to buy or sell passes.
If you still fail to acquire a ticket there are 1500 day passes set aside and go on sale on the same day. They can be purchased from the festival website and at Ticketcorner outlets.
Insider Tips & Tricks/Things You Shouldn’t Miss
Holders of four, five and six day passes will also be given free access to Nyon’s open-air swimming pool, the town’s two museums (the Roman Museum and the Musée du Léman) and to the Swiss National Museum.
At the campsite there is a 24-hour reception centre that provides a lost and found service and luggage storage option. The centre also sells phone cards and recharges your phone for you if you bring your own charger.
The campsite also includes a bar, bakery, a non-alcoholic bar and a massage and wellness area. Firewood can also be gathered here for no charge.
Between the festival and the campsite an area called la Pl’Asse is open to the public and offers craft and food stalls and all sorts of entertainment.
Consult the Paléo phone app to organise your personal programme, receive alerts, and check your location and share photos.
The majority of food stalls operate on a cash only basis with Swiss Francs or Euros accepted. While card facilities are available at a few restaurants onsite. This means that you’ll probably be needing to access an ATM on at least one occasion during the event. They’re located just after the main entrance on your right at the festival site.
This festival is massive so it may pay to familarise yourself with the map here before you head to Switzerland.
There are over 120 food stalls catering for the 230,000 plus festivalgoers. They’re divided up into 6 different quarters that are classified by their cuisine. Mediterranian and Latin American foods and Asian cuisines make up two quarters, while the Quartier des Alpes specialises in local food.
For more details head to the official Paléo Festival Nyon website.
