Is Shankra Festival still happening?

It is paused. The last edition took place in July 2023, and 2024, 2025 and 2026 were cancelled. Lostallo's mayor has said a return next year is not excluded, but no date has been announced.

Why was Shankra cancelled?

First storms and their aftermath, then money problems and stricter safety demands from the municipality. Three years in a row, which is why I'd wait for a confirmed date before getting my hopes up.

Where does the festival take place?

On the valley plain at Lostallo, in the Mesolcina valley in Graubünden, Switzerland.

When was the last edition?

In July 2023. It was the seventh edition, and it opened a day late after a landslide a few hundred metres from the site.

Could you camp at Shankra?

Local press reported about 3,000 people camping on the plain in 2023, while one festival listing says there was no camping. Sources differ, so check official information if it returns.

In 2023 it was prepared for around 8,000 people, which makes it a medium-sized festival by European standards.

Shankra Festival: psytrance open air in Lostallo, Switzerland

Lostallo, Switzerland

A five-day psytrance open air in the Mesolcina valley in Graubünden. Last held in July 2023; the 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions were cancelled and no new date is set.

Shankra is a five-day psytrance festival in a Swiss mountain valley, prepared in 2023 for around 8,000 people. That is well below the giants of the European summer, and on paper I like that size: an international crowd, but still something you can take in. Right now, though, it is on hold. Three cancelled years in a row is not a hiccup, and I would treat it that way.

Location

The site is on the valley plain at Lostallo, in the Mesolcina in the canton of Graubünden: mountains all around, dancing under open sky. In 2023 a landslide came down a few hundred metres from the site and the festival opened a day late. One incident shouldn't be overread, but for me it shows the trade-off of a mountain valley: the setting is the reason to go and the risk at the same time.

46.3100, 9.1900 — View on Map

Music

Shankra is a psytrance festival, but I couldn't verify a line-up for any edition, so I won't guess which styles ruled the floor. If it returns, the first line-up announcement will tell you more than I can. Five days of music in a mountain valley does most of the work anyway, if you let it.

Community

The crowd was international, and plenty of people came to camp: local press reported about 3,000 people in tents on the Lostallo plain in 2023, although not every festival listing agrees on camping. My read: this was a festival for people who stay on site, not for day-trippers.

Travel

Lostallo is a village in the Mesolcina valley, and getting there is moderate rather than hard. A car is the practical option. If the festival returns, check the official channels for arrival information before you book anything non-refundable.

Tickets

There is no ticket sale at the moment. The 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions were all cancelled, and no new edition has been announced. If a comeback is confirmed, I'd wait for a fixed date and a published plan before paying for anything.

FAQ

Is Shankra Festival still happening?: It is paused. The last edition took place in July 2023, and 2024, 2025 and 2026 were cancelled. Lostallo's mayor has said a return next year is not excluded, but no date has been announced.
Why was Shankra cancelled?: First storms and their aftermath, then money problems and stricter safety demands from the municipality. Three years in a row, which is why I'd wait for a confirmed date before getting my hopes up.
Where does the festival take place?: On the valley plain at Lostallo, in the Mesolcina valley in Graubünden, Switzerland.
When was the last edition?: In July 2023. It was the seventh edition, and it opened a day late after a landslide a few hundred metres from the site.
Could you camp at Shankra?: Local press reported about 3,000 people camping on the plain in 2023, while one festival listing says there was no camping. Sources differ, so check official information if it returns.
How big was Shankra?: In 2023 it was prepared for around 8,000 people, which makes it a medium-sized festival by European standards.