Estivale Open Air

This year, the rock bands are all from Switzerland or France. The festivals had 2 stages, with the small stage literally above the water. Fans can watch the concert while enjoying the magnificent view of Lake Neuchâtel. The first band to kick off the festival is Geneva-based Capital Youth. Their songs are in a Hard-Pop/Soft-Punk style, which makes a gentle start while enjoying the sunshine by the lake. I discovered this group for the first time and the performance was very good.

Astonvilla start playing on the main stage just 10 minutes after Capital Youth’s performance. The line-up is standard: a bassist, a guitarist, a singer and a drummer. All the essential requirements for a good rock band. It’s hard to judge the performance between Capital Youth and Astonvilla. Both were very good tonight, each in their own musical style. In April 2023, Astonvilla announced that they would be releasing a 4th album next year. We can’t wait to hear it.

Matmatah took over this rock night just before 9pm. The concert was very satisfying to listen to and also to watch, the lighting was superb. It’s starting to get night, and darkness is falling over the festival. It’s time for The Young Gods to come on stage. 3 band members in the dark, low light on stage. The atmosphere is mysterious and starts to heat up, with fans singing along and moving in all directions. It’s probably fair to say that the band’s performance was perfect. The group performed during 1 hour and ended the evening on the lake stage.

Now it’s time to see the evening’s headliners in action. Gotthard is a Swiss band from Ticino create in 1992. We were given some fat guitar riffs, with very catchy choruses. The crowd seemed to enjoy it too, jumping up everywhere. For those who want to see them again, there are still a few dates left in Switzerland before the end of the summer. Thanks to the organizers, volunteers and everyone involved in the festival for all their hard work.