August 11 will be a special day, as it is the last of the 2019 edition. That is to say, hovering above Vevey that day, there will no doubt be a feeling of deep joy, of great emotion, a touch of nostalgia – a few tears are sure to flow.
But August 11 will nevertheless be a day of celebration. Each and every one will want to be, quite rightly. The last performance is by definition unique and special. No one wants to leave the arena – this ephemeral setting that will only return in a quarter of a century –, and everyone wants to make it last – that magic moment – and enjoy it until the last second. A sound, a smell, a look. It’s for these reasons it seems that “the last day” always goes on a little bit longer and the show is necessarily different.

Afterwards, no one wants to leave Vevey, performers, the public, guests, collaborators, any and all who experienced the festival up close or from afar, for months and months. It is in this atmosphere, therefore, that the official day of the canton of Vaud will take place. Vaud is fully aware of all these elements that – naturally – the canton of Vaud has thought of and wanted its presence: the festive feeling, the feeling of joy, and under the double sign of youth and innovation.

To be a host of honour of its own canton, on its own soil and on the last day of the Fête des Vignerons is definitely something unusual and very unique! For the Conseil d’Etat vaudois, August 11 will be a unique opportunity to meet people, combining tradition and urban vitality!

The thinking that underscores Vaud’s day is that the canton of Vaud is a place of contrasts and inclusion; the Vaudois is urban and countryside; it is artisan as well as technically advanced; it is the lake as well as the mountains.

The canton cultivates “living together”; it is opened to foreigners; it is intergenerational. The canton of Vaud is a territory conducive to innovation. Finally, it is also quite apparent that the canton of Vaud is a land of hospitality and tourism. Going off the excellent principle that non-Vaudois festival-goers will probably stay a few extra days, various tourist office websites (for example: www.region-du-leman.ch; www. montreuxriviera.com) have been featuring the wealth of the touristic offer of Vaud, to enhance the strengths of the region – including its wine – to encourage visitors to extend their visit in this exceptional region, including the Lavaux, classified as a UNESCO world heritage site.