In the summer of 2026, Baden-Baden will once again become the "Capitale d'Été" – the capital of musical surprises, wonder, and grand emotions. Under the poetic motto of the romantic "Ah!", the summer festival at the Festspielhaus will be dedicated to those moments when music casts the world in a new light: sometimes dazzling, sometimes subdued, but always full of magic.
The focus of the first half of the festival is on Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who will be turning his attention entirely to early Romanticism with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. On June 26, he will open the festival with works by Weber, Mendelssohn, and Schubert—music that still breathes the fresh spirit of a new beginning, before the soundscapes later became more bombastic. Nézet-Séguin sees this era as his "secret first love" and invites listeners to discover their inner revolutionary.
Young audiences will also find something to enjoy: at the toddler concert on June 27, children up to two years old will experience their first encounters with sound and rhythm together with musicians from the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Also on June 27, Nézet-Séguin shows himself from a particularly approachable side: in "Yannick & Friends," he leaves the podium, sits down at the piano, and plays music with his friends—virtuosic, spontaneous, and full of joy.
Yannick Nézet-Séguin © Hans van der Woerd
This will be followed on June 28 by another concert with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, whose unique democratic history and European ensemble spirit continue to shape its unmistakable sound to this day.
The London Symphony Orchestra will then erect its great musical cathedrals: on July 4, under Nézet-Séguin's baton, Rachmaninoff's Second Symphony will meet Paganini's Rhapsody – two works between Russian longing and American modernism. On July 5, principal conductor Antonio Pappano will present an extraordinary program between Wagner and Beethoven: Vilde Frang will interpret Beethoven's Violin Concerto, while Wagner's "Liebestod" from Tristan und Isolde will bring opera drama to the Festspielhaus with Sarah Jakubiak and Clay Hilley.
The IM.PULS project, which will be dedicated to singing and choral singing in 2026, forms the social heart of the festival. On July 11, schoolchildren will present their work at a public concert, followed by a large sing-along festival that will bring together singers and choirs from all over Germany.
The grand finale on July 12 will be a summit meeting of classical music: Zubin Mehta, Daniel Hope, and Pinchas Zukerman will join forces with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra for a celebration of virtuosity and musical friendship.
The 2026 Baden-Baden Summer Festival will be a journey through romanticism, a feast for the ears, and a shared experience—full of moments of revelation, gasps of awe, and unforgettable musical summer nights.
June 26 to July 12, 2026
www.festspielhaus.de/festivals/la-capitale-d-ete/
Vilde Frang © Marco Borggreve
