Christmas/New Year Celebrations: see November festivals

Geneva Winter Carnival: is a three-day event marking the end of winter and the coming of the spring season. Held annually in mid-February, the festival is mainly aimed at children, with mask-making and lots of fun. The huge carnival procession on the last day, which goes from the Bridge of Bergues and through the streets of Geneva, is the highlight, running from 14:30 to midnight.

Geneva Motor Show: held at the Palexpo Exhibition Centre in early March for eight days, the Geneva Motor Show is Europe’s largest international show and features brand new concepts and innovations including exhibitions from most the world’s car manufacturers.

International Exhibition of Inventions, New Techniques and Products: this early to mid-April event, held at the Palexpo Exhibition Centre, is the largest of its kind in the world. Every type of innovative new gadget is shown here, with some amazing products in all categories.

Lake Sailing Regatta: with the official name of the Rolex Bol d’Or, the Lake Regatta is Europe’s largest, with hundreds of boats all trying to get from one end of Lake Geneva to the other in the fastest time. The Swiss team, Alinghi, was the winner of the 2004 Americas Cup, which has given the event a significant boost.

Fete De La Musique: also held in mid-June, this is a two-day music festival that is staged at numerous venues throughout Geneva. There is a musical style here for everybody, from house to jazz and blues to reggae. Most concerts are free to attend and they usually feature an assortment of food stalls.

American Independence Day: held at the Boutde-Monde Stadium on July 4, Independence Day is organised by the American International Club of Geneva and is another large event. The fireworks display is the largest outside of the US and the Centre Sportif du Bout du Monde offers live acts that are child-friendly.

Montreux Jazz Festival: this jazz festival is held in the first two weeks of July. It has been running for nearly 40 years and features some world-famous jazz acts at free and paid concerts along Lake Geneva’s shores.

Fetes de Geneve: drawing millions of visitors over 10 days, Fetes de Geneve is a collection of parties held along the shores of Lake Geneva, with everything from carnival rides, concerts, shows, parades and lots of food stalls on offer. Every night features a massive fireworks display, while the Techno Parade finale sees a collection of party floats complete with disco music and revellers.

Festival de la Batie: a great 16-day long multi-media event featuring artists from France and Switzerland, with art shows, concerts and a range of other interesting performances. The festival takes place from the beginning of September and is held at Batie Park.

Christmas Celebrations: running from November through to January, Geneva puts on a collection of events to mark the end of the year and to get in the Christmas spirit. Of these, the International Christmas Market at Fusterie Square is one of the best loved, with folk art and crafts from Switzerland and numerous food stalls. There is also free, open-air skating at Place du Rhône, the annual Christmas Tree Festival and the Christmas Swimming Cup, which features hundreds of swimmers competing in the icy waters of Lake Geneva from Jardin Anglais (English Garden) to the Quai General Guisan.

L’Escalade: is an eight-day event held in the Old Town in early December to commemorate the repelling of the Duke of Savoy and his forces in the early 1600s. Running from Sunday to Sunday, the festivities feature a five-mile race through the Old Town, followed by concerts and exhibitions, and finishing off with a torchlight procession up the steps of Saint Peter’s Cathedral.