Basel Carnival (Fasnacht): Morgestraich, Cortège, lanterns and tips

Fasnacht, the Basel carnival, begins in 2027 on Monday 15 February 2027 at 4am with the Morgestraich and ends on Thursday 18 February 2027 at 4am. In between come exactly 72 hours of drums, piccolos, lanterns and satire.

Fasnacht is free and takes place on the street, but it is demanding logistically. This page explains the programme, the best places, the Plakette, the rules visitors break without knowing it and how to plan your room and the way back.

When is Fasnacht, and how is the date set?

The Morgestraich always begins at 4am on the Monday after Ash Wednesday, and Fasnacht lasts exactly 72 hours. That is why it moves around the calendar between mid-February and mid-March.

The Fasnachts-Comité calendar gives "15.02.27 bis 17.02.27, 04:00" for 2027, while travel guides end on Thursday at 4am. That is not a contradiction: the Comité counts the three programme days, and the guides include the final Endstraich.

Photo: Sparrow (2019), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

What happens on which day?

• Monday, 4am, Morgestraich: the lights go out in the Old Town and all the cliques begin their march at the same moment with drums and piccolos, lit only by their lanterns.
• Monday afternoon, first Cortège: the big parade through the city centre, usually from 1:30pm to 6pm according to a tour operator.
• Monday evening, Schnitzelbänke: verses on current events in restaurants and halls; the 2027 list has not been published yet.
• Tuesday, children's carnival and Guggenmusik: the family day, and in the evening the squares belong to the Guggen brass bands.
• Wednesday afternoon, second Cortège: the second big parade, with Schnitzelbänke again in the evening.
• Thursday, 4am, Endstraich: the end, after 72 hours.

The exact times of individual cliques, the locations of Guggen concerts and the list of Schnitzelbänke have not been published yet. According to the Comité, the Basel City Guide app is to provide themes, routes and departure times.

Where does Fasnacht happen, and what is free?

Fasnacht is concentrated in the Old Town: Barfüsserplatz, Münsterplatz, Marktplatz, Spiegelgasse, Freie Strasse and the lanes in between. The big lanterns are displayed on Münsterplatz during Fasnacht.

There is no admission ticket. If you want to watch, just go, and if you follow the rules below you are welcome everywhere.

What is the Plakette, and do you have to buy one?

The Plakette, Blaggedde in Basel dialect, is a voluntary contribution that supports Fasnacht and its participants. It is not an admission ticket: buying one is encouraged, but nobody has to wear it to watch.

For 2027 the Fasnachts-Comité announces four versions, copper, silver, gold and bijou, as a pin or a pendant. Pre-orders open on 1 November 2026, with delivery from 5 January 2027.

On its Plakette page the Comité gives these prices: copper CHF 10, silver CHF 20, gold CHF 50 and bijou CHF 100. The sources do not detail exactly how the money is shared between cliques, Guggen, lanterns, security and cleaning; only the general support for Fasnacht is confirmed.

Where is the best place to stand?

For the Morgestraich, be in place at least 60 to 90 minutes before 4am in the central spots. The main streets show the lanterns best but fill up first, while side lanes leave more room to move, with less view of the joint start.

For the Cortèges, 45 to 90 minutes ahead is realistic in the centre. If you want to avoid the crush, pick a stretch on the edge of the route and steer clear of the junctions around Barfüsserplatz and Marktplatz.

There are no official crowd figures by hour, so the table is a qualitative assessment. The lanterns on Münsterplatz are a good compromise, as you do not have to wait for a parade.

Photo: Max Karmazin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What mistakes do visitors make?

• standing in the middle of a clique's path,
• stopping a lantern or a drummer for a photo,
• touching masks (Larven), costumes or lanterns,
• using flash photography right next to the cliques,
• following a clique too closely,
• expecting a Cortège to pass like a parade at a fixed time,
• walking into a pub with Schnitzelbänke without a booking,
• expecting explanations in French or English in the middle of the ritual.

Nobody publishes a complete set of visitor rules. Most of them concern safety, keeping the way clear and respect, not a set fine.

Morgestraich, Cortège or Guggen: which Fasnacht suits whom?

If you can only experience one part, you are choosing between three very different carnivals. The Morgestraich is the ritual: darkness, lanterns, drums and goosebumps at 4am, and it means a sleepless night.

The Cortège on Monday and Wednesday afternoon is the spectacle: costumes, masks, lanterns and dense crowds along the street, in daylight. Tuesday belongs to families by day and to the Guggen by night, loud, cheerful and less solemn.

With children, Tuesday is the best choice; for photographers, the Cortège; and for anyone who wants to understand why Basel stands still for these three days, the Morgestraich.

What makes Basel Fasnacht so special?

Basel Fasnacht rests on the cliques, associations of drummers and piccolo players who march with masks and painted lanterns. The Morgestraich in the dark, when all the cliques set off at once, is its heart.

Unlike carnivals built on floats, balls and one big daytime parade, such as Lucerne or Solothurn, Basel is dominated by drums and piccolos, satirical lanterns, Schnitzelbänke and the independence of cliques, Guggen and lantern groups. The sources do not allow a numerical comparison of size or attendance.

Where do you eat on carnival night?

Some restaurants work through the night, and after the Morgestraich it is time for flour soup (Mehlsuppe), onion tart and cheese tart. There is no reliable list of venues open all night in 2027.

Some restaurants extend their hours, others close or are fully booked. For the Schnitzelbänke in the evening, book as soon as the programmes appear, because the halls are small.

How do you plan your room, arrival and the way back?

Nobody publishes hotel prices and occupancy for Fasnacht, and rates are dynamic. Book as soon as the dates are fixed, especially for the nights from Sunday 14 to Wednesday 17 February 2027.

Liestal, Pratteln, Muttenz, Rheinfelden, Delémont and Lörrach are fallback options, provided the night connections around the Morgestraich work for you. The Old Town is practically closed to cars during the parades, so car parks on the edge are the better choice; see Basel parking live and park and ride in Basel.

Before you travel, check road closures, the last trams and buses, diversions and the walk to your accommodation. How trams and fares work is explained in getting around Basel.

What is closed during Fasnacht?

The city revolves around Fasnacht, not the other way round. According to baselswitzerlandtours.com, the Kunstmuseum is closed from 15 to 17 February 2027, so check other museums too.

If you want to combine Fasnacht with museums, visit them in the days before. Plans for that are in things to do in Basel, the sights in things to see in Basel and the right district in where to stay in Basel.

Sources: Fasnachts-Comité (2027 calendar and Plakette shop), mybasel.ch (Basler Fasnacht, 19 October 2026), baslerfasnacht.info (2024 to 2027 dates, 15 March 2026), festipath.com (72 hours), thurgautravel.ch (Cortège times, carnival food), euratravelo.com (programme), baselswitzerlandtours.com (Kunstmuseum closure).