Practical information

Opening hours

Tue | Wed | Sun: 5.00 pm — 1.00 am

Thu | Fri | Sat: 5.00 pm — 2.00 am

Afters at Tridel: Fri and Sat: 11.00 pm — 5.00 am

Vergers de l'Hermitage: Tue and Wed: 2.00 pm — 7.00 pm | Fri to Sun: 4.30 pm — 9.00 pm

Getting there and accommodation

The Festival takes place mainly in the historic Cité district.

Anyone wishing to walk to the Festival simply needs to head to Lausanne Cathedral to find themselves right at the heart of the Festival.

Public transport

↳ cff.ch

Train timetables for travelling to and from Lausanne.

↳ t-l.ch

M2 metro line, Bessières or Riponne stop.

↳ Night service

The tl night service gets you home safely. Lines N1, N2, N3, N4, N5, N6, L60 and LEB run at weekends (on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights). They also connect you to certain SBB and PostBus services that run at night. More info: t-l.ch/nocturne

Carpooling

Sustainable transport

Accommodation

Information stands

↳ Locations: next to the cathedral entrance (opposite the market steps) and at the entrance to Pont Bessières (near the M2 metro lifts).

↳ Opening hours: every evening during the Festival, Mon–Sun from 5.00 pm to 10.00 pm.

↳ Services: general information, accessibility passes, name and phone number stickers for children, etc.

250701_ambiance_@malik_beytrison_06_hd.jpg — © Malik Beytrison | édition 2025

But there's more...

Accessibility

Full details for people with reduced mobility, visual impairments, hearing impairments or any other disability, whether visible or not, can be found on our accessibility page.

Accessibility Pass

Since 2025, the Festival de la Cité has been offering an accessibility pass for people with reduced mobility, visual impairments, hearing impairments or any other disability, whether visible or not. This is a pin featuring the following symbol, which can be collected from the information stands.

La Chaise rouge

La Chaise rouge will be on site throughout the Festival. People with disabilities who wish to use La Chaise rouge’s support service will be put in touch with volunteers, subject to availability.

Please feel free to contact them by phone on 021 340 00 70 or by email at benevolat@croixrougevaudoise.ch. More information at croixrougevaudoise.ch/prestations/la-chaise-rouge/

Magnetic loop

A magnetic loop is available for people with hearing impairments at all shows and concerts performed on the Place Saint-Maur stage.

Prevention

The Festival de la Cité is committed to providing its audiences, staff and artists with a welcoming, respectful and safe environment.

⃠ We have a zero-tolerance policy towards violent, aggressive, racist, homophobic, ableist, fatphobic, sexist, classist, ageist behaviour or any other form of oppression or discrimination.

⟢ Ask for Angela! If you feel in danger, go to any of the Festival bars and ask for “Angela”. This procedure allows you to discreetly signal that you wish to be taken into the care of our staff to ensure your safety.

⏾ You can also speak to our night-time representatives, who are present at the Festival site and can be recognised by their midnight blue outfits. During the afters at Tridel, you can speak to members of the Team Care, who can be recognised by their fluorescent vests.

First-aid and safety

✚ The first-aid post and first-aid facilities are located near the information stand, opposite the cathedral entrance (at the top of the market steps).

If a child goes missing: please go to the first-aid post. This is also the ideal meeting point to tell your child to go to if you lose sight of each other!

The Festival de la Cité Lausanne has engaged Protect Service to patrol the site at night. This service works closely with the police and the fire brigade and helps ensure that you can enjoy the Festival in complete safety. In the event of an emergency, please follow the organisers’ instructions.

Children and families

You’ll find on the ‘Young Audiences’ page all the projects designed especially for children. A large part of the Festival’s programme is suitable for everyone: it’s marked ‘suitable for all ages’. Do come and discover it with your family!

Children’s areas

To spend some time with the family, a cosy, drop-in area for parents and children is set up in a teepee in the Cour du Gymnase from 5.00 pm to 8.00 pm.

A children’s area with outdoor games and various activities is set up at the Vergers de l’Hermitage on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 5.00 pm to 8.00 pm.

Stickers and lost children

Stickers on which you can write your child’s name and your telephone number are available at the information stands.

If a child goes missing, please go to the first-aid post opposite the cathedral entrance: this is also the ideal meeting point to give your child if you lose sight of each other!