This week is clearly dominated by EDM music as the Street Parade hits town, but there’s also a lovely festival on the other side of the lake, a trip out of town if you fancy it, and some live music.

Thursday: Weeks Of Music In Winti (Scroll ⬇️ To Find Out More)

Thursday: An Alternative To Street Parade: Lethargy At Rote Fabrik

Friday: Tickets To Four Clubs For 15CHF

Saturday: Get Your Movie Posters Here. Houdini Holds A Poster Bazaar

Saturday: Here We Go. It's Street Parade (Scroll ⬇️ To Find Out More)

Wednesday: Experimental Metal Night At Exil

This Saturday is one of the biggest events in Zurich’s social calendar, drawing a million partygoers to the city. Of course, it’s the Street Parade – the orgy of electronic music and partying that will take over the city this weekend. But what’s actually happening?

Well, the first thing you should do is download the official Street Parade app. It features an interactive 3D map showing the locations of the nine stages, as well as a whole host of other important spots like food stalls, drinks stands, and safety and protection zones. Naturally, it also includes the full timetable for the parade and the line-up across all the stages. It’s genuinely a great app!

Once the main event winds down, the party continues in clubs across the city – with Plaza, Supermarket, Hive and Exil keeping the vibe alive well into the morning.

Finally, a word of advice: the Street Parade is a marathon, not a sprint. Telling your mates you passed out by 2 p.m. isn’t going to make for a cool anecdote. So... consume responsibly. (Street Parade even has a drug testing station to make sure what you’ve got is actually what it claims to be.) Know your limits. Keep an eye on your friends. And remember – big crowds can attract the wrong kind of attention, so stay alert.

Here are my top tips:

• Don’t wear flip-flops or sandals. Between broken glass, stray cans and other people dancing the fandango on your toes, it’s going to hurt. Oh – and a few delightful people will relieve themselves wherever they fancy. Lovely!
• Take plenty of water and stay hydrated. (It’s going to be hot, hot, hot.)
• Don’t forget sunscreen or a hat. (It’s going to be hot and there’s not much shade.)
• Take a break: if you’re starting to feel a bit rough, there’s no shame in skipping a few drinks.
• Look out for others – friends, strangers, whoever. It’s all about love.

There’s plenty of music this week, starting with a short train ride out of the city. At this time of year, Winterthur becomes the venue for the wonderful Musikfestwochen, with performances popping up all over the city. The festival runs until 17 August and features a wide range of acts, including club nights at Albani and Kraftfeld.

Friday 15 August has a distinctly British feel, with Manchester’s TTSSFU and Belfast’s Chalk on the bill, joined by Bristol-based punk band Idles.

Thurs - Sun 15th, Winterthurer Musikfestwochen, Various Locations, 8400

This month, the comics come from Romandy, courtesy of Marie-Morgane Adette, aka Mariemo. Or should I say, straight from the high seas? Many of the Neuchâtel-born artist’s illustrations are inspired by her time spent aboard two rather special ships. She revealed which ones in our interview – along with plenty of other fascinating facts and anecdotes from her life.

As I was perusing the national and international news channels, I came across an article about Bib Gourmand. Now, of course, i know all about it – but having discussed the topic with several of my friends, i realised they knew nothing Bib, (Bib is short for Bibendum, the official name of the Michelin tyre man,) and his guide.

To put it briefly, Bib Gourmand is part of the Michelin restaurant guide, and rather than listing restaurants with the coveted stars, it highlights those that cater to people with – how shall I put it – less bulging wallets than those required for one, two or three-star establishments.

That’s not to say these restaurants are cheap, but the Bib Gourmand list, which is available through their app on iOS and Android,) offers a very reliable guide to great dining experiences – without having to rely solely on sites/apps like TripAdvisor.

Several of my favourite restaurants in Zurich are already included, (i hear the people at Michelin are avid followers of my newsletter 🤣) but if you're off on a trip, you can find Bib Gourmand recommendations all around the world.