Baloise Session 2026 Lineup: Nile Rodgers, Rick Astley and Erykah Badu to Perform in Basel

The 41st Baloise Session has officially unveiled its 2026 lineup, bringing 18 acts to the Event Hall at Messe Basel from October 16 through November 4. According to reporting from ticketcorner.ch and L’Alsace, the festival features artists such as Erykah Badu, Nile Rodgers and CHIC, Stephan Eicher, Joe Bonamassa, and Rick Astley, performing in an intimate club setting with candlelit tables.

Curating Artistic Worlds on Opening Night

Advance ticket sales for the festival begin on August 26, offering audiences a combination of legends and contemporary voices. According to Baloise Session CEO Beatrice Stirnimann, the festival aims to create surprising moments through a carefully curated program that pairs two distinct artistic worlds each evening. Opening the festival on October 16 are Mark Forster and KAMRAD. Forster, known for hits like “Au Revoir” and his role as a coach on The Voice of Germany, takes the stage alongside KAMRAD, whose track “I Believe” has surpassed 500 million streams. The two performers previously served together on the judging panel of The Voice of Germany in 2024.

The second night of the festival features Mark Forster returning to the stage alongside the Bern-based duo Lo & Leduc. The duo holds the record for the most successful Swiss song of all time with “079,” which spent 21 weeks at No. 1 and achieved six-time platinum status. They are slated to perform tracks from their latest album, Krise als Chanson.

Hitmakers and Pure Voices Take the Basel Stage

The October 19 lineup pairs Nile Rodgers & CHIC with Rick Astley. Rodgers helped shape the disco sound with hits like “Le Freak” and “Good Times,” produced David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” and Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” and earned a Grammy Award in 2013 for his work on Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky.” He has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame since 2017. Sharing the bill is Rick Astley, who achieved global recognition in 1987 when his single “Never Gonna Give You Up” reached number one in 25 countries. Rodgers will also perform a second night on the program, joined by London-born singer and producer Natasha Bedingfield.

Vocal talent takes center stage on October 21 with a pairing of Calum Scott and Tori Kelly. Both artists gained early prominence through television talent competitions, with Scott earning a Golden Buzzer on Britain’s Got Talent and Kelly building her career after appearing on American Idol. Scott’s single “Dancing On My Own” has accumulated over 1.5 billion streams, while Kelly is a three-time Grammy Award winner.

International Collaborations and Soul Legends

The October 23 program, billed as a Soirée Sans Frontières, features Stephan Eicher and Imany. Eicher began his career with the group Grauzone before building a successful solo career in France with songs like “Déjeuner en paix,” marking his third appearance at the Baloise Session. Imany, a former Calvin Klein model, has generated over one billion streams with her track “Don’t Be So Shy.”

Soul music takes prominence on October 27 with performances by Erykah Badu, Max Herre, and Joy Denalane. Badu helped define neo-soul with her 1997 release Baduizm and has collaborated extensively with artists including The Roots, OutKast, and Tyler, the Creator. Max Herre and Joy Denalane will present selections from their collaborative album Alles Liebe during the evening.

Closing Weeks Bring Global Roots and Indie Pop

The final stretch of the festival opens on October 30 with James Arthur and the New York-based Nicotine Dolls. Arthur rose to prominence with “Impossible,” and his single “Say You Won’t Let Go” exceeding one billion streams. He previously performed at the Baloise Session in 2015 during the early stages of his career.

American roots music features prominently on November 3 with blues artist Joe Bonamassa and Nashville singer Brandy Clark. Bonamassa, who performed alongside B.B. King at age twelve, holds the record for the most No. 1 albums on the Billboard Blues Charts with 31. Brandy Clark earned her first Grammy Award in 2024 for “Dear Insecurity” and co-wrote the Broadway musical Shucked. The festival concludes on November 4 with performances by younger-generation bands Picture This and Amistat.

Managing logistics and hospitality for an 18-act festival spread over ten distinct evenings requires extensive operational coordination. Producers and venue organizers routinely rely on Event Management and Production partners to handle stage engineering and crowd management, while regional Hospitality and Tourism Services coordinate lodging for international touring personnel and visiting audiences.