Even though George Frideric Handel never visited Karlsruhe in person, his name has been associated with the fan-shaped city for almost half a century: Every year, thousands of people from all over the world trace his spirit there. Handel's opera Tamerlano, which premiered in 1724, will be at the heart of the 2026 Handel Festival, performed by René Jacobs together with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra and a star cast.
Tamerlano was already considered a political statement during Handel's lifetime: the story of the Ottoman sultan Bajazet, who is imprisoned and driven to suicide by the tyrannical Mongol ruler Tamerlano after losing a battle, was (and still is) based on historical events and can easily be related to reality. The libretto is taken from the festival motto, which this time revolves around ways of liberation from dictatorship and despotism. The opera will be staged by the all-rounder Kobie van Rensburg, who has been a hit in many places with his unusual, theatrical use of video art and his ability to bring humorous aspects to even the most difficult historical material.The German Handel Soloists will frame the festival concert series with a gala concert under Attilio Cremonesi and a festive concert, enliven the Arcadian soundscape in Handel's opera Atalanta and, as is tradition, can also be heard in a chamber concert. Performed in concert, the opera Atalanta, which leads us into Arcadian nature to nymphs, shepherds and hunters, is repeatedly counted among Handel's most "charming" operas. The magic opera Rinaldo, designed by Rinaldo Alessandrini and Hinrich Horstkotte as a veritable baroque stage spectacle, will be performed on three dates with a star-studded cast.
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As part of a diverse program with a wide variety of formats, internationally renowned greats (not only) from the baroque scene are offered a platform as well as promising young talent. Countertenors around the world are already preparing for the second edition of the Farinelli Competition, which was launched in 2025 to great acclaim. For younger audiences, students from the International Handel Academy are developing a completely new work based on the Tamerlano material. Experience established stars and newcomers, let yourself be carried away by a surprisingly revolutionary crossover concert, hear Handel in dialog with other composers, get into conversation and celebrate Handel's birthday.
Advance sales for selected performances of the 2026 Handel Festival have already started.
Reserve your tickets for the Handel highlights early and look forward to two and a half exciting weeks full of music, esprit and international flair!
February 20 to March 8, 2026
www.staatstheater-karlsruhe.de/programm/haendel-festspiele/
Rinaldo © Staatstheater Karlsruhe, Photo: Felix Grünschloß
