Event highlight of summer 2025: new production of ‘The Matterhorn Story’

Anticipation is growing: exactly ten years after the huge success of ‘The Matterhorn Story’, the Zermatt Open-Air Theatre is celebrating a comeback of this work written especially for Zermatt in summer 2025.

Who could forget? High-quality theatre, set with a beautiful musical accompaniment and with the legendary backdrop of the Matterhorn. 26,000 visitors were moved by ‘The Matterhorn Story’ on the Riffelberg. Thanks to this work, the 150th anniversary of the first ascent of the Matterhorn in summer 2015 remains in the memories of local people and visitors from near and far.

At the time, the production generated a media response that reached far beyond Switzerland’s borders. ‘The Matterhorn Story’ recounts this formative milestone in the history of Zermatt in an emotional way that really immerses the audience in the story. The first ascent of the Matterhorn on 14 July 1865 is still regarded today as the – albeit dramatic – starting signal for tourism in Zermatt.

The Bernese author and director Livia Anne Richard has been brought on board again to create the production. In addition to ‘The Matterhorn Story’, Richard wrote and directed ‘Romeo and Juliet on the Gornergrat’ for the Riffelberg in 2015 and ‘Matterhorn

No Ladies Please’ in 2019.

The main thrust and core messages of ‘The Matterhorn Story’ will remain the same for the revival next summer. However, Richard reserves the right to use her artistic freedom and change individual narrative strands in the play or tweak small nuances. The experienced author and director also aims to include new accents for people who have already seen the production ten years ago.

‘The Matterhorn Story’ will be performed from mid-July to the end of August 2025 at the established and unique Riffelberg venue. Performances will take place from Thursday to Saturday at 7.30 pm and on Sunday at 2 pm.