Lucerne Festival 2026

This edition

The Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra, with soloists Fatma Said and Matthias Goerne, performs works by Christian Jost and Jörg Widmann. The program draws inspiration from Schumann's Dichterliebe, reimagined by Jost. An evening dedicated to contemporary creation and musical emotion.

The festival

Lucerne Festival is a classical music festival held in Lucerne, Switzerland. Its Summer 2026 edition runs from August 13 to September 13, 2026, featuring over 100 concerts over five weeks. The festival presents world-renowned classical music stars in the heart of Switzerland. The program includes performances by prominent orchestras and soloists, such as the Vienna Philharmonic, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, with conductors and soloists like Sir Simon Rattle, Hilary Hahn, Yuja Wang, and Alexandre Kantorow. The festival also includes an open-air concert series called 'Classic for everyone.'

The festival has a long history, dating back to 1938 when Arturo Toscanini conducted a gala concert in Tribschen, which is considered the birth of the International Music Festival Weeks Lucerne, the predecessor of today's Lucerne Festival. Over the decades, it has hosted legendary conductors and soloists, including Wilhelm Furtwängler, Herbert von Karajan, and Yehudi Menuhin. The festival also includes other editions throughout the year, such as Forward, Spring, and Pulse, which focus on different aspects of music. The main Summer festival is known for its high-caliber orchestral concerts and chamber music performances, set against the backdrop of Lucerne's scenic location on Lake Lucerne.

Getting there, on site

The Summer 2026 festival takes place from August 13 to September 13, 2026, in Lucerne. The main venue is the KKL Luzern (Culture and Convention Center), though some events may be held at other locations in the city. Tickets for concerts can be purchased through the festival's official channels. The festival also offers a newsletter for regular updates on concerts and news. For those interested in the festival's history, the official website provides detailed information about its past editions and legacy. The festival is accessible by public transport, as Lucerne is a well-connected city in central Switzerland.