Lenzerheide Magic Forest – Fixed address for music lovers

The musical line-up for the Lenzerheide Magic Forest convinces with a good mix of well-known musicians and promising insider tips. This year, Philipp Fankhauser, Baschi, Nemo and Seven will be joined on the wintry open-air stage in the Magic Forest by One Lucky Sperm, Veronica Fusaro, Crimer and Stu Larsen. As usual, the concerts will take place every day on the forest stage in the market village, except for Christmas Eve, 24 December 2018.   

When it comes to the line-up, the Magic Forest has captivated audiences with a good mix of well-known musicians and promising insider tips from the outset. Musically, the Magic Forest will open on Friday 14 December 2018 with a concert by the young Zurich-based songwriter Nickless, followed by a performance by the well-known Baschi on Saturday 15 December 2018. He will present his new album '1986' at the Magic Forest, which is sure to warm up his audience. 

The line-up for the Magic Forest 2018 also includes some promising insider tips, such as the Swiss freak-pop band One Lucky Sperm (Monday 17 December 2018), the young songwriter Veronica Fusaro from Thun (Tuesday 18 December 2018), the nomad musician Stu Larsen from Norway (Saturday 22 December 2018) and the band Šuma Čovjek with its mix of Balkan pop, chansons, oriental, world and brass music (Tuesday 25 December 2018). 

Well-known artists and songs
In addition to Baschi, Philipp Fankhauser (Wednesday 19 December 2018), Bibi Vaplan (Thursday 20 December 2018), Seven (Friday 21 December 2018), Nemo (Wednesday 26 December 2018), Stevans (Friday 28 December 2018) and Crimer (Sunday 30 December 2018) are guaranteed to captivate the Magic Forest audience. Regular visitors to the Magic Forest are also well acquainted with Carrousel (Sunday 16 December 2018) and Martin O. (Thursday 27 December 2018). Like Philipp Fankhauser, this will be their second performance at the wintry Magic Forest in Lenzerheide. 

An evening with many well-known songs is guaranteed by Hampa Rest alias Luigi Panettone (Sunday 23 December 2018), who will sing Elvis Presley's most beautiful love songs in a unique Christmas concert, and Hit the Jukebox (Saturday 29 December 2018), who certainly live up to their name with their more than 2,000 songs ranging from the swing era to modern hits by Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran.

Wintry open-air experience
For the public as well as the artists, the special thing about the concerts in the Magic Forest is the venue. The Magic Forest stage is located in the middle of the forest, surrounded by the idyllic market village where the air is heavily scented by glühwein, sweet chestnuts and tarte flambée. «Thanks to the proximity of the audience, the atmosphere in the Forest directly infects the musicians. This creates a very special and unique mood, which is much appreciated by the musicians», confides Giancarlo Pallioppi, OC chairman and responsible for the line-up. 

It's no wonder then that the wintry Magic Forest will welcome back three artists this year – Philipp Fankhauser, Martin O. and Carrousel. The Swiss voice and sound musician Martin O. greatly appreciates the unique environment and mood of the Magic Forest: «The warm-hearted audience is obviously happy and enchanted.» He has put together a magic set for his concert on Thursday 27 December 2018, which can only be heard at the Magic Forest. 

Tips for keeping warm
Surprisingly, the cold temperatures sometimes make the artists sweat. «The instruments suffer a little from the cold», says Philipp Fankhauser, experienced Magic Forest performer. «But with all this wintry magic, who would want to complain about the cold?» asks the likeable blues singer. At his concert on Wednesday 19 December 2018, Philipp Fankhauser and his eleven-member band, consisting of a full brass section and three fantastic backing vocalists, will present their latest album 'I'll be around'. This will also be one of the band's last concerts in this formation. 

Philipp Fankhauser’s tip for keeping fingers warm for Magic Forest newcomers is very simple: «Dress a bit more warmly and hope that the stage is still equipped with conventional hot spotlights rather than LEDs.» His colleague Martin O. shares this sentiment. For his concert in December 2015 he wore a turtle neck and a down jacket on the Magic Forest stage. «The cold, dry air is a big challenge for the voice», says the virtuoso sound magician who uses his voice to create an acoustic work of art. Last time he found that some hot lime blossom tea on stage was a big help – a première, confesses Martin O.