Anyone in Geneva itching to bust out their dance moves may have to wait a little longer than planned, as clubs, dance halls, cabaret venues and pretty much anywhere that encourages dancing en masse will remain closed until November 16.
The decision was announced by the Geneva authorities on Wednesday, September 2, due to the high rate of Covid-19 infections around the canton. While authorities said that infection rates are now “stabilising”, the move to extend club closures has been taken to avoid another coronavirus surge.
While that may be bad news for Geneva’s nightlife industry, to try and mitigate the financial effects, authorities have said that these venues can operate as bars or rent out their spaces for private events, such as weddings or birthdays.
Outside of Geneva many clubs have reopened, but some have faced criticism after clubbers and staff have been forced to quarantine, as a result of the virus spreading around certain venues. Unsurprisingly, most large music events and festivals have been cancelled, although some are still taking place, such as Caprices in Crans-Montana.
The festival takes place across two stages over two weekends, with the capacity of each stage limited to 1,000 people, split into three “zones” of 300 people – these numbers are the maximum currently allowed at an event, as per government guidelines. The Caprices website says that its organisers are “following close advice and regulations of the Swiss Government” and will be asking festival-goers for their details for the purposes of contact tracing.
Even without clubs – for the moment – there’s still lots to do in Geneva, so if you’re in the city and looking for ways to keep entertained, head over to our pick of the 21 best things to do in the city. And for more inspiration, get stuck in to our Geneva guide.