Fantasy Basel Festival Draws Thousands with Space Pioneer

Switzerland's largest pop culture event features astronaut Claude Nicollier alongside cosplayers and gaming enthusiasts, bridging real space exploration with science fiction.

Key Takeaways

Fantasy Basel has expanded its exhibition space to a massive 100,000 square meters for the 2025 edition.
Swiss astronaut Claude Nicollier served as a keynote speaker, sharing insights from his 1990s space missions.
The festival features approximately 800 exhibitors ranging from comic artists to K-pop dance groups.

By The Numbers

95,000

expected visitors

88,000

visitors

100,000

square meters

They Said

"It was her own creation, based on a Valkyrie and a 'Dragonlady'."
— Keystone-SDA Reporter

"These images still touched him."
— Swissinfo (paraphrasing Nicollier)

Pop Culture Titan Surges in Basel

Real Science Meets Galactic Fiction

A Visual Spectacle of Cosplay Mastery

Unprecedented Scale and Growth

Sources & References

Jedi knights, superheroes and (real) astronaut gather at Fantasy Basel

SWI swissinfo.ch