Musikinsel Rheinau Calls on the Canton of Zurich to Provide More Beds
The board of trustees of the Musikinsel Rheinau will soon decide whether to renew the lease. The foundation has set conditions for the Canton of Zurich, as the property owner.
What does the future hold for the Rheinau Music Island? This question arises because an important decision is coming up soon: namely, whether to renew the lease with the Canton of Zurich, the owner of the former Rheinau Monastery. The Swiss Rheinau Music Island Foundation issued a statement on Tuesday—and it’s clear: in order for the Music Island to operate without losses in the future, it must be able to offer additional overnight accommodations.
According to a press release from the foundation, Musikinsel is currently incurring an operating loss of approximately 100,000 Swiss francs per year. Lack of demand is not the problem—quite the contrary: «Since mid-2025, over 2,100 overnight stays have had to be canceled because there were no longer enough beds available at the desired time.» Since the current number of beds makes a significantly higher occupancy rate impossible, a reduction in the operating loss is not foreseeable.
Foundation Threatens to Look for a New Location
For the operators of Musikinsel, one thing is clear: «If an expansion within the monastery complex is not possible, the foundation would be forced to look for a new location.» Although the Zurich Cantonal Council has already decided that the foundation may set up additional beds in the previously unused abbot’s wing of the monastery complex, the foundation criticizes the planned number of beds as too low. A particular point of contention is the Cantonal Council’s plan to house a museum in the building as well.
The Rheinau Music Island opened 12 years ago. It is designed to offer orchestras, choirs, music groups, and individual musicians the opportunity to retreat for intensive rehearsals—with room and board under one roof. The foundation’s board of trustees includes, among others, SVP politician Christoph Blocher as president and his daughter Rahel Blocher. The lease runs for 15 years until 2029, with the option to renew it twice, for 5 years each time. In March 2027, the Foundation Board will decide on whether to continue the lease.
