Basel – Basler Herbstmesse 2026

Basler Herbstmesse 2026 runs from Saturday, 24 October, to Sunday, 8 November 2026 – and at Petersplatz, the Hääfelimäärt continues until Tuesday, 10 November. This year, Basel’s traditional «Mäss» celebrates its 555-year anniversary. Around 460 rides, stalls and stands, including 37 new attractions, await you across seven fairgrounds in the city centre. Whether you’re looking for thrills, want to take a leisurely stroll around the market or try typical Swiss specialities, Basel offers you an exceptional fair in the middle of autumn.

Basel Autumn Fair 2026: seven locations and 37 new attractions

The Autumn Fair spans Messeplatz, Rosentalanlage, Kasernenareal, Münsterplatz, Barfüsserplatz, Petersplatz and Hallenmesse. Unlike a funfair at a single venue, here you can discover several sides of the city at once. Each location has its own character. At Kasernenareal, for example, you’ll find particularly fast-paced attractions, while Petersplatz, with its Hääfelimäärt, offers a more family-friendly market atmosphere. And around the Münster, you can enjoy a unique setting among historic buildings and fairground lights.

With around 460 attractions and 37 premieres, Basel’s Mäss 2026 offers a varied mix. This year, the indoor fair has also moved to Messehalle 1 near Messeplatz. This means you can visit rides and other attractions indoors too. The exact number of visitors will naturally only be known after the event; typically, around one million people visit the fair.

Basel Autumn Fair 2026: ride highlights

One of the most spectacular new attractions is Invader at Kasernenareal. The circular ride made its debut only in 2026 and spins its passengers around with fast rotations, fog and lighting effects. Also at Kasernenareal is the nostalgically styled High Explosive, a roller coaster with around 350 metres of track and a height of up to 14 metres.

The new Gravity drop tower, around 80 metres tall, rises into the sky at Messeplatz. If you’d rather enjoy the city views without a free fall, you’ll find a new Ferris wheel at Münsterplatz. Rosentalanlage also draws visitors with the 40-metre-high Hexen-Flieger and the Discooter bumper cars. At Barfüsserplatz, the Calypso is back after a long break.

There’s something new for families too: the Happy Farm funhouse and a new children’s railway await you at Petersplatz. The selection ranges from classic carousels and game stalls to action-packed rides. So you can tailor your visit to the fair to suit your mood.

Traditional opening ceremony and family activities

On Saturday, 24 October 2026, the fair was officially opened at exactly 12 by Florian von Bidder, the fair bell-ringer, from the tower of Martinskirche. Before that, government president Conradin Cramer spoke at Martinskirchplatz. The opening bell, rung with the “Mässglöggli”, is one of Basel’s best-known traditions. Traditionally, children could ride for free during the first quarter of an hour after the fair opened.

Another tip for families is the Familienpass promotion from 2 to 5 November 2026. With a valid Familienpass, you can get discounts on selected rides, stalls and food stands. However, not all businesses take part. So ask at the relevant stands to find out which discounts are available.

Petersplatz, Handwerkerdörfli and culinary specialities

Petersplatz is one of the most relaxed areas of the Autumn Fair. You can browse the market and craft stalls under the trees, discover small gifts and enjoy regional specialities. The Handwerkerdörfli is particularly interesting: it has grown to nine stalls in 2026. Demonstrations include glassblowing, candle-making, hand weaving, woodturning and blacksmithing. A new wine bar adds to the range.

Traditional specialities are, of course, not to be missed. Try Chäsbängel, bread filled with warm cheese, or sweet Magenbrot, Mässmogge and roasted chestnuts. There are also numerous snack stalls and other food options at the fairgrounds. Petersplatz and the Hääfelimäärt remain open for two days after the main fair closes – ideal if you’d rather take a leisurely stroll around the market.

Opening times, admission and tips for your visit

Basel Autumn Fair has different opening hours depending on the location. The fun starts earlier at Messeplatz and Rosentalanlage than at Barfüsserplatz, Münsterplatz, Kasernenareal and Hallenmesse. Petersplatz, with Hääfelimäärt, has its own daily market hours. The individual time slots are listed in our opening hours overview. On the opening day, all locations started together at 12.

Entry to the fairgrounds is free. You pay for individual rides, games, food and drinks. It can get busy at popular rides and along the food and drink area by the Messe-Parkhaus, especially at weekends. So it is worth planning your visit flexibly. And because the fairgrounds are spread across the city, you should allow enough time to travel between the different areas.

Getting there by Mäss-Drämmli and history since 1471

Die Basler Herbstmesse ist seit 1471 ein fester Bestandteil der Stadtgeschichte. Heute lässt sie sich wunderbar mit einem Spaziergang durch die Basler Altstadt verbinden. Besonders praktisch ist die Anreise mit öffentlichen Verkehrsmitteln. Die spezielle Tramlinie 22, das Mäss-Drämmli, verbindet am Freitag- und Samstagabend sowie am Sonntag den Bahnhof Basel SBB über wichtige Innenstadt-Haltestellen mit dem Messeplatz und dem Kasernenareal. Zusätzlich verstärkt die BVB einige weitere Tramlinien.

For Messeplatz, Rosentalanlage and the indoor fair, use the Messeplatz stop. You can reach Petersplatz via the Universität or Universitätsspital stops. If you arrive by car, you can use public car parks, although spaces are not guaranteed, especially at weekends. You can also travel by bicycle.

You can find more fairs in our funfair calendar. The official visitor information for Basler Herbstmesse and the BVB travel information will help you plan your visit. Would you like to come back to Mäss next year? Then take a look at Basler Herbstmesse 2027 too.