“Classic Open Air” returns to Berlin once again
From July 9 to 14, Berlin will once again become the venue for the prestigious music festival «Classic Open Air», which has firmly secured its special niche in the capital’s rich cultural calendar and attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year.
The festival was founded in 1992 on the initiative of the outstanding operatic lyrical-dramatic tenor with the so-called “spinto” timbre (a harmonious combination of lyrical lightness with dramatic vocal power without any special strain on the voice), José Carreras (José Carreras, born in 1946, a native of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain).
The festival organizer is a subsidiary of the largest European promoter Deutsche Entertainment AG (DEAG): DEAG Classics AG (Berlin). For many years, its key area of activity has been organizing a wide range of live music events. Many of them are accompanied by light installations and colorful fireworks.
Originally, the festival was conceived as a multi-genre event in the “musical space.” It offers listeners not only classical music, but also rock, pop, and jazz. The repertoire also includes opera performances, operettas, and musicals. Some performances are accompanied by impressive light shows or fireworks. Over the years, “Classic Open Air” has managed to gain wide recognition and the audience’s favorable admiration.
For many years, the stage of «Classic Open Air» has been graced by performances of outstanding artists, including top opera stars such as Anna Maria Kaufmann, Lucia Alberti, Montserrat Caballé, and Roberto Alagna. Also featured have been legendary music groups and performers, including Buena Vista Social Club, Chaka Khan, Scorpions, and Al Jarreau. The German music “platform” has in different years been represented by renowned singers and musicians Udo Jürgens, Till Brönner, Curtis Stigers, Annett Louisan, and others. The festival has also featured the Russian National Orchestra under Vladimir Spivakov and the orchestra of the Russian-German Music Academy, conducted by Valery Gergiev.
The traditional venue for «Classic Open Air» remains the expressively magnificent Gendarmenmarkt square (Gendarmenmarkt). Its unique charm, complemented by the monumental architecture of the Concert Hall (Konzerthaus), the German Cathedral (Deutscher Dom), and the French Cathedral (Französischer Dom), creates a special, solemn atmosphere, especially striking in the evening.
This festival has a number of distinctive features, which clearly set it apart from many similar events. In particular:
- the feeling of open space. Holding concerts in the open air creates a special, relaxed, free atmosphere;
- the aforementioned majestic buildings “create” a rare romantic and at the same time impressive natural backdrop for the performances;
- a finely balanced combination of musical directions. Visitors can enjoy not only opera, symphonies, and piano concertos, but also classical crossover (English classical crossover) projects, filled with elements of academic (classical, operatic, symphonic) and popular music (pop, rock, jazz, etc.). On one stage, seemingly completely different genres can “coexist”;
- as already mentioned, many performances are accompanied by luxurious light shows and fireworks, which, in effect, turn the concert into a true visual spectacle.
- diversity in content. Each day of the festival is usually devoted to particular performers or thematic blocks. The program includes both grand gala concerts featuring famous orchestras and conductors, vocal performers, and more modest, intimate, rather “experimental” performances.
The Classic Open Air 2026 program is being announced as exceptionally rich and multifaceted. It will include both classical orchestral works and operettas, Italian and German opera, jazz improvisations, and theatrical performances.
The festival will open ceremonially on July 9 with a performance by one of Germany’s leading symphony ensembles - the Konzerthausorchester Berlin (Konzerthausorchester Berlin). This time it will be conducted by the first woman conductor in the history of the prestigious Berlin Konzerthaus (Konzerthaus Berlin), its current artistic director Joana Mallwitz (Joana Mallwitz).
Venue address for “Classic Open Air” 2026 year: Gendarmenmarkt 5, 10117 Berlin.
Festival program and tickets: https://classicopenair.de
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