Histoire et Cité Festival 11th edition is themed "As if by magic"

Published: 22 March 2026

The 11th edition of the Histoire et Cité Festival will take over French-speaking Switzerland under the theme “As if by magic.” Check their program to find out what is going on in a city near you at this link.

Over the course of ten days, more than 250 speakers will present 135 free events—including lectures, films, panel discussions, tours, workshops, and performances—to explore the connections between science, belief, rationality, and the imagination.

Highlights of the Geneva edition

In Geneva, the festival will take on a large scale with 63 events organized from 24-29 March 2026, spread across Uni Dufour, the Bibliothèque de Genève, the MEG, and the Cinémas du Grütli.

• 24 March 2026: From India to Mars (18h30, Uni Dufour), an opening night dedicated to the Geneva-based medium Hélène Smith, an international figure in spiritualism studied in the late 19th century. An exploration of the connections between the spiritual sciences, occultism, and artistic creation.
• 25 March 2026: Screenings of Kirikou and the Sorceress and the cult film The Wicker Man at the Cinémas du Grütli.
• 26 March 2026: Cartography of Magical Geneva (Bibliothèque de Genève), offering a unique perspective on the city through its legends, occult affairs, and urban myths.
• 26 March 2026: The Magic of Finance (Uni Dufour), a roundtable discussion on contemporary economic imaginaries, from financial bubbles to cryptocurrencies.
• 28 March 2026: The Magic Scrolls of Christian Ethiopia (MEG), a special presentation of rarely seen talismanic objects.

Geneva emerges as a true testing ground for the tensions between scientific rationality, collective beliefs, and modern imaginations.

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