Paléo Festival

The Paléo Festival de Nyon, usually just called Paléo, is an annual rock festival held in Nyon, Switzerland. It started in a small way in 1976 as the Nyon Folk Festival. The first one was held in the village hall in Nyon. From 1977 until 1989, it was held at Colovray, Nyon, by Lake Geneva and had only two stages, but today it is one of the major open-air music festivals in mainland Europe and the biggest in Switzerland. Today the event has grown to include international artists. In 1990, it moved to its current location, at the Plaine de l'Asse, accessible either by walking, bus or the Chemin de fer Nyon-St-Cergue-Morez narrow-gauge railway.

The festival lasts six days at the end of July, from Tuesday to Sunday, and the final main stage concert is preceded by a great firework display with music.

As of 2005, 3.5 million spectators and 2500 artists had been part of the Paléo Festival.

Stages
The Paléo features six stages:
 * La Grande Scène (the Main Stage)
 * Vega (Which replaced Les Arches in 2022)
 * Le Club Tent (the Club Tent)
 * La Ruche (the hive) (formerly called 'La Crique')
 * Le Dôme (the Dome)
 * Belleville (since 2022, dedicated to electronic music)
 * Le Détour (regional bands now located inside the festival, formerly called 'FMR' which was a free stage)

Since 2003, the Paléo has introduced Le Village du Monde (The World Village) section, which is a space reserved for an invited region of the world. This place offers the region's culture and food. It also includes Le Dôme which shows only artists from the invited region.

280,000 visitors and over 5,000 staff participated in the 2015 event.

Tickets
Tickets can be purchased on the Paléo Website. Special offers are available usually as early as November of the year preceding the next Paléo festival with discounted all-week passes. Later in Spring the official programme is published and the second, slightly less discounted tickets are available. They are often sold out very quickly. In the months preceding the festival more tickets are sold at full price.

To fight black-market ticket sales, 1500 one-day tickets are held up to be sold the same day as their validity date and can be purchased online (to be printed by the buyer).

The lineup used to be revealed on a late April Wednesday at noon, following which, both tickets and passes would sell out within days. From 2008 onwards, the lineup is unveiled one week prior to the sale, giving people plenty of time to make up their mind and thus rushing them online to get their tickets one week later. In 2009, all 280,000 tickets and passes were sold in a record one-and-a-half hours.

1997
Invited artists:
 * Al Jarreau
 * Eddy Mitchell
 * IAM
 * Isaac Hayes
 * Jamiroquai
 * Jane Birkin
 * Johnny Clegg & Savuka
 * Khaled
 * Morcheeba
 * Noa
 * Noir Désir
 * Pascal Obispo
 * Placebo
 * Shaggy
 * Simple Minds
 * Sinéad O'Connor
 * Suzanne Vega
 * Texas

For a full list see the 1997 history.

1998
Invited artists:
 * Charles Trenet
 * Claude Nougaro
 * Dolly
 * Eagle-Eye Cherry
 * Faudel
 * Herbie Hancock
 * IAM
 * Jean-Louis Aubert
 * Joe Cocker
 * K's Choice
 * Linton Kwesi Johnson
 * Louise Attaque
 * -M-
 * MC Solaar
 * Patricia Kaas
 * Portishead
 * The Prodigy
 * The Wailers
 * Run-D.M.C.
 * Stereophonics
 * Yann Tiersen

For a full list see the 1998 history.

1999
Invited artists:
 * Alliance Ethnik
 * Ben Harper
 * Celia Cruz
 * Charles Aznavour
 * Cheb Mami
 * Fun Lovin' Criminals
 * Garbage
 * Gotthard
 * Iggy Pop
 * Stephan Eicher

For a full list see the 1999 history.

2000
Invited artists:
 * Beck
 * Bloodhound Gang
 * Buena Vista Social Club
 * Compay Segundo
 * Rita Mitsouko
 * Louise Attaque
 * Massilia Sound System
 * Mickey 3D
 * Morcheeba
 * Muse
 * Noir Désir
 * Oasis
 * Patrick Bruel
 * Pink Martini
 * Renaud
 * Saian Supa Crew

For a full list see the 2000 history.

2001
Invited artists:
 * Ben Harper
 * Kool & the Gang
 * Lynda Lemay
 * Manu Chao
 * Natalia M. King
 * Placebo
 * Red Snapper
 * St. Germain
 * Texas
 * The Young Gods
 * Tom McRae
 * Vanessa Paradis

For a full list see the 2001 history.

2002
Invited artists:
 * Zucchero
 * Yann Tiersen
 * The Cure
 * Supertramp
 * Pet Shop Boys
 * MC Solaar
 * Jovanotti
 * Noir Désir
 * Indochine
 * James Brown

For a full list see the 2002 history.

2003
Invited artists:
 * Asian Dub Foundation
 * R.E.M.
 * Alanis Morissette
 * Ibrahim Ferrer
 * Jimmy Cliff
 * Massive Attack
 * Nada Surf
 * Renaud
 * Ska-P
 * The Cardigans

For a full list see the 2003 history.

This year saw the first Village du Monde. Africa was invited with Cameroon, Nigeria and other countries from that continent.

2004
Invited artists:
 * Eros Ramazzotti
 * Jamel Debbouze (a French comedian in the festival's only non-musical show scheduled on the main scene)
 * Pascal Obispo
 * Peter Gabriel
 * Stephan Eicher
 * Starsailor
 * Texas
 * Muse
 * Myslovitz (From Poland)

Latin America was invited at the Village du Monde. Specifically Venezuela, Colombia, Equator, Peru and Mexico among others.

For a full list see the 2004 history.

2005
In 2005, the following world-renowned artists participated at the Paléo (among many others):
 * Lenny Kravitz
 * George Clinton (funk musician)
 * Jamiroquai
 * Starsailor
 * Rammstein
 * Samael
 * IAM
 * Stress
 * Pink Martini
 * Babylon Circus
 * Franz Ferdinand

That year was considered very successful, with a cool but clear weather for most of the week (except some short showers on Sunday). Asia was the region invited to the Village du Monde, including China, Tibet, Nepal, Vietnam, Thailand and Japan.

For a full list see the 2005 history.

2006
Paléo took place from 18 to 23 July 2006 with the following artists:
 * Depeche Mode
 * Placebo
 * The Who
 * Tracy Chapman
 * Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals
 * Pixies
 * Goldfrapp
 * Ziggy Marley
 * HIM
 * The Dandy Warhols
 * Dub Incorporation
 * Benabar
 * Feeder
 * The Kooks
 * Indochine
 * Hateful Monday

Eastern Europe hosted the Village du Monde.

For a full list see the 2006 history.

2007

 * Björk
 * Muse
 * Arctic Monkeys
 * Jean-Louis Murat
 * Rachid Taha
 * Arcade Fire
 * Arno
 * Malouma
 * Pink
 * Robert Plant
 * Laurent Voulzy
 * Grand Corps Malade
 * Joey Starr
 * Stress
 * Oxmo Puccino
 * Daby Toure
 * Zucchero
 * Lynda Lemay
 * Ayo
 * Groundation
 * Bitty Mc Lean feat. Sly & Robbie
 * Tryo
 * Sanseverino
 * Emily Loizeau
 * Gad Elmaleh
 * Air
 * The Young Gods
 * Cassius
 * Renaud
 * Zazie
 * Gogol Bordello
 * The Locos
 * La Ruda
 * Tinariwen
 * Michel Corboz
 * Natacha Atlas
 * Idir

For a full list see the 2007 history.

2008

 * The Hives
 * The Raveonettes
 * Massive Attack
 * Mika
 * Yael Naïm
 * R.E.M.
 * Justice

R.E.M. headlined the Sunday night.

For a full list see the 2008 history.

2009
2009 edition of Paléo took place from the 21 to 26 July 2009. Below list includes some of the musicians who performed during the concert:


 * Sunny Lakherwal
 * Rohit Rattan
 * Gautam Bagri
 * Rodrigo Y Gabriela
 * Moby
 * Amy Macdonald
 * Placebo
 * The Ting Tings
 * Kaiser Chiefs
 * Tracy Chapman
 * Rishipal Singh Padha
 * Ayo
 * Gossip
 * The Prodigy
 * Fatboy Slim
 * Pete Doherty
 * TV On The Radio
 * Franz Ferdinand
 * Sophie Hunger
 * White Lies
 * Izia
 * Daily Bread
 * The Bianca Story
 * Peter Kernel
 * Girls in the Kitchen
 * The V.AC.
 * The Young Gods play "Woodstock"
 * Ghinzu
 * Pascale Picard Band
 * Peter von Poehl
 * The Black Box Revelation
 * Yodelice
 * Bonaparte
 * Mama Rosin
 * Thomas More Project
 * Commodor
 * 2manydjs
 * Hugh Coltman
 * Karkwa
 * Naive New Beaters
 * Heidi Happy
 * Tim & Puma Mimi
 * Brutus
 * Charlie Winston
 * Naive New Beaters
 * Toboggan
 * Gautam Bagri
 * Josef Of The Fountain
 * Santigold (ex Santogold)
 * Cold War Kids
 * Caravan Palace
 * Grace
 * Evelinn Trouble & Trespassers
 * DatA
 * Kate Wax
 * Nancy Glowbus
 * The Proteins
 * Trilok Gurtu
 * Anaïs
 * Julien Doré
 * La Chanson du Dimanche
 * Dhoad Gypsies from Rajahsthan
 * Masaladosa
 * Kiran Ahluwalia
 * Dhabi
 * Olli & the Bollywood Orchestra
 * Alborosie
 * Omar Perry & Homegrown Band
 * Takana Zion
 * La Pulqueria
 * Rohit Rattan
 * Achanak
 * Ska-P
 * Zone Libre vs Casey & B. James
 * La Pulqueria
 * Tumi and the Volume
 * Ska Nerfs
 * Francis Cabrel
 * Les Ogres de Barback
 * La Grande Sophie
 * Debout Sur Le Zinc
 * Zedrus
 * Raghunath Manet
 * Karsh Kale & MIDIval Punditz
 * Musafir - Gypsies of Rajasthan
 * Jaipur Maharaja Brass Band
 * Abd al Malik
 * Oxmo Puccino
 * La Gale et Rynox
 * Trip In
 * Tweek

India was the region invited to the Village du Monde.

For a full list see the 2009 history.

2010
In 2010, the festival was held from July 20 to July the 24th. Some of the performing artists included:


 * N*E*R*D
 * Iggy and The Stooges
 * Motörhead
 * Damien Saez
 * Suprême NTM
 * Two Door Cinema Club
 * Charlie Winston
 * Foals
 * Crosby, Stills & Nash
 * Johnny Clegg
 * Milow
 * Archive
 * Gentleman & The Evolution
 * Sens Unik
 * Jamiroquai
 * Plastiscines
 * John Butler Trio
 * Paolo Nutini
 * Klaxons
 * Indochine

The Motto for the Village du Monde was Southern Africa.

For a full list see the 2010 history.

2011
The 2011 edition of the Paléo Festival took place from Tuesday, July the 19th to Sunday, July the 24th. The following list includes some of the acts that were confirmed on the 5th of April:


 * AaRON
 * Admiral James T.
 * Jean-Louis Aubert
 * Beirut
 * Bloody Beetroots
 * James Blunt
 * The Chemical Brothers
 * Cocoon
 * Les Cowboys Fringants
 * The Dø
 * PJ Harvey
 * Jack Johnson
 * Mika (replaced Amy Winehouse)
 * Metronomy
 * Moriarty
 * Yael Naïm
 * The National
 * Noisettes
 * Patrice & The Supowers
 * Robert Plant & The Band of Joy
 * Portishead
 * Pulled Apart By Horses
 * The Strokes
 * Stromae
 * Tarun Bhardwaj Ambala Waale
 * Amy Winehouse (canceled her European Tour due to alcohol problems)
 * William White
 * Zaz and her band

The Motto for the Village du Monde was the Caribbean.

For a full list see the 2011 history.

2012
17 July
 * Manu Chao
 * Franz Ferdinand
 * Hubert-Félix Thiéfaine
 * Camille
 * Brigitte
 * M83
 * Quentin Mottier
 * Baba Zula

18 July
 * The Cure
 * Justice
 * Mashrou' Leila
 * Natacha Atlas
 * Dionysos
 * Bon Iver
 * Dominique A
 * Other Lives
 * Warpaint

19 July
 * Sting
 * Stephan Eicher
 * Caravan Palace
 * Chinese Man
 * Groundation
 * Raggasonic
 * Le Nico Baillod Band
 * Le Trio Joubran

20 July
 * Lenny Kravitz
 * Rodrigo y Gabriela
 * Imany
 * Irma
 * Orelsan
 * 1995
 * C2C

21 July
 * Garbage
 * Bloc Party
 * The Kooks
 * The Kills
 * Bénabar
 * Thomas Dutronc
 * GiedRé
 * Agoria
 * Avishai Cohen

22 July
 * David Guetta
 * Roger Hodgson
 * Kev Adams
 * 77 Bombay Street
 * Maxime Vengerov

2013
23 July 24 July 25 July 26 July 27 July 28 July
 * Neil Young and Crazy Horse
 * Two Gallants
 * Phoenix
 * Sophie Hunger
 * Alt-J
 * Lou Doillon
 * Arctic Monkeys
 * The Smashing Pumpkins
 * Asaf Avidan
 * Beach House
 * Dranko Jones
 * The Bloody Beetroots
 * Dub Incorporation
 * Santana
 * Tryo
 * Stupeflip
 * Sigur Rós
 * Kadebostany
 * Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
 * -M-
 * Youssoupha
 * Keny Arkana
 * Blur
 * BB Brunes
 * Damien Saez
 * Benjamin Biolay
 * Kavinsky
 * Oxmo Puccino
 * Patrick Bruel
 * Bastian Baker
 * Michaël Grégorio
 * Raphael
 * Paul Meyer with Le Concert Européen

2014

 * Vincent Veillon et Vincent Kucholl
 * Seasick Steve
 * Thirty Seconds to Mars

2015

 * Robbie Williams
 * Gary Clark Jr.

2016

 * Muse
 * Bastille

2017

 * Red Hot Chili Peppers
 * Arcade Fire
 * Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
 * Foals
 * Pixies
 * Black M
 * Christophe Maé
 * Petit Biscuit
 * Midnight Oil
 * Lola Marsh

2018

 * Gorillaz
 * The Killers
 * Lenny Kravitz
 * Kaleo
 * Depeche Mode
 * Indochine
 * MGMT
 * Jain
 * Jamel Debbouze
 * Romeo Elvis
 * Suprême NTM
 * Nekfeu
 * Bigflo & Oli
 * Angèle
 * Feder
 * Lorenzo
 * Orelsan
 * Emir Kusturica & The No Smoking Orchestra

2020
The 2020 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021
The 2021 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.