Bastian Baker, Junior Tshaka and Angie Ott celebrate 15 years of Marin Centre

On 11.11.2011 at 11:11am, Migros Neuchâtel-Fribourg opened a brand new Marin Centre to the delight of the people of Neuchâtel. 15 years on, the mall on the first floor of the second-largest shopping centre in French-speaking Switzerland will be hosting a unique, free festival to celebrate this anniversary, in collaboration with the Migros Culture Percentage.

Junior Tshaka and the Neuchâtel School Choir
The festivities kick off on Wednesday 17 June with a playful, modern and humorous magic show by Neuchâtel's David Schultess. At the end of the day, Junior Tshaka will perform an acoustic concert, surrounded by his musicians and accompanied by over 100 choir members from secondary schools in the canton of Neuchâtel. He will be performing pieces from his 20-year career, as part of this special project in collaboration with Musique-école of the Conservatoire de musique neuchâtelois. This was enough to delight the many disappointed people who didn't manage to get a precious ticket for Festi'neuch's sell-out Sunday.

Two Bastian Baker concerts and a signing session
On Thursday 18 June, Swiss star Bastian Baker will be presenting his new concert: after more than a decade spent criss-crossing the world's most prestigious stages and festivals, the number 1 artist from French-speaking Switzerland has decided to return to his roots for an intimate acoustic tour, close to his audience. On the programme: all his hits performed in their original version, anecdotes from his tours, interaction, improvisation and an 'à la carte' setlist. As the icing on the (birthday) cake, Bastian Baker will be performing twice (at 4.30pm and 6.30pm) and will be available for a signing session in between.

"We rap": educational and interactive show on hip-hop by Sim's and DJ Menas
Hip-hop culture will be in the spotlight on Friday 19 June with the musical, interactive and educational show "On fait le rap". Written and performed by Jura-based rapper Sim's and Neuchâtel-based Dj Menas, the show explores the origins and techniques of rap through demonstrations and the creation of a live track. After the show, children can discover and try out different types of turntables and installations used by the djs.

Angie Ott in acoustic trio
Finally, on Saturday 20 June, after the concert by the winner of the 'Tremplin 15 ans Marin Centre' competition (see below), the shopping centre will be alive with the beautiful, bewitching voice of Angie Ott. David Schultess will also be back with two magic shows.

A springboard for young local artists
Young musicians from the canton of Neuchâtel are invited to send a video of their performance (concert, rehearsal or clip) to migrosnf.ch/tremplin until 10 May 2026. A panel of judges will select three finalists whose videos will be published on the Marin Centre Instagram page. The video with the most likes will win the chance to perform on the festival stage early afternoon on Saturday 20 June and a prize of CHF500.

Unique events to discover
Two days after the last notes of music have sounded on the first floor of Marin Centre, the mall will be transformed into a giant funfair. Around fifteen arcade and skill game machines will be available free of charge to appeal to children and bring back memories for parents. This fun and festive atmosphere will be spread throughout the shopping centre, with face-painting workshops, candyfloss distributions, bubble shows and other surprises in front of the various shops.

The festivities will continue in August with the return of the incredible "Jurassic Island" exhibition and its larger-than-life animatronic dinosaurs, which caused a sensation last year, spread across various areas of the centre.

Full programme and details: www.marincentre.ch/festival-15-ans/