Name: ACHAVA Festival Thuringia 2026
Start: 2026-09-23T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-10-11T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Alte, Kleine und Neue Synagoge Erfurt, Spielstätten in ganz Thüringen

ACHAVA Festival

About ACHAVA Festival

ACHAVA – Hebrew for «brotherhood» – sees itself as a platform for encounters, dialogue, and cultural exchange. For almost three weeks, concerts, exhibitions, discussions, and readings transform Erfurt and numerous locations in Thuringia into a stage for Jewish-German cultural history. The main venues are the Old, Small, and New Synagogues in Erfurt.

Dates 23 Sep — 11 Oct 2026

Venue Erfurt (16051)

Prices —

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

ACHAVA Festival — edition 2026

Tickets →

The ACHAVA Festival 2026 spans almost three weeks from September 23 to October 11. Concerts, discussion forums, readings, and exhibitions explore themes of Jewish identity, dialogue, and remembrance culture. The main venues are the Old, Small, and New Synagogues in Erfurt; the complete program will be published in June/July 2026.

The 12th edition of the festival builds on the 2025 Margot Friedländer Prize award and continues the tradition of dialogue between religions and cultures. Focus areas are expected to again include concerts of classical and Yiddish music, encounters with contemporary witnesses, and thematic exhibitions.

Highlights ACHAVA Festival 2026

Program to be released June/July 2026. Expected highlights include concerts in the Old Synagogue (UNESCO World Heritage) and dialogue formats.

Programme ACHAVA Festival 2026

Framework

September 23 – October 11, 2026
Main venues: Old Synagogue, Small Synagogue, New Synagogue Erfurt
Other venues throughout Thuringia

The detailed 2026 program (concerts, readings, exhibitions, discussions) will be published in June/July 2026 on achava-festspiele.de. As in previous years, it is expected to include classical and Yiddish concerts, encounters with contemporary witnesses, school and educational programs, as well as exhibitions on the Jewish cultural history of Thuringia.

Prices ACHAVA Festival 2026

Ticket prices per event. Detailed tariffs on achava-festspiele.de.

Practical information

Practical information — ACHAVA Festival

Getting There

Most of Erfurt's venues are located in the old town, within walking distance of the main train station or Anger. For events outside Erfurt, using public transport is recommended.

Tickets

Detailed program and tickets from June/July 2026 at achava-festspiele.de.

Concerts and Dialogues – an Intercultural Festival

The ACHAVA Festival Thuringia was founded in 2015 and has since developed into one of the most important festivals for Jewish culture and intercultural dialogue in Germany. The name derives from the Hebrew word אחווה (achava) for «brotherhood» and is its program: ACHAVA brings together artists from different religions, cultures, and generations.

Venues in Erfurt and all of Thuringia

The focus is on the three Erfurt synagogues: the Old Synagogue (one of the oldest preserved Jewish buildings in Europe, UNESCO World Heritage since 2023), the Small Synagogue, and the New Synagogue as the currently active community synagogue. In addition, the festival uses concert halls, theaters, museums, and memorial sites throughout Thuringia.

Awards and Recognition

The festival was awarded the Margot Friedländer Prize in 2025 and is an «excellent place in the Land of Ideas». It sees itself as a contribution to remembrance culture, dialogue, and combating antisemitism.

Location Erfurt – Capital of Thuringia

Erfurt is the seat of the festival and an independent city in the district of Erfurt, Thuringia. With its medieval Jewish quarter around the Old Synagogue, the city offers an exceptional historical context for a festival of this kind.