Altmark Festspiele
Culture in special locations in the Altmark region
About Altmark Festspiele
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A Festival, an Entire Region
The Altmark Festspiele is not a festival you tick off in a weekend. It spans almost four months through summer and autumn — from May 16 to September 5, 2026 — and uses the entire Altmark region as its backdrop. 18 venues, spread across the districts of Stendal and Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, connect industrial architecture, monastery churches, castles, and manor houses into a vast network of cultural pathways. Classical music meets jazz, international soloists meet regional ensembles, romantic piano meets the Regensburg Cathedral Choir.
Steel, Straw, and Symphony
What makes the Altmark Festspiele special is its love for contrasts. Since 2024, the opening weekend has taken place in the Alstom locomotive hall in Stendal — an actively used industrial hall where trains are serviced and whose acoustics are, according to artistic director Reinhard Seehafer, “a small sensation.” A few weeks later, the audience sits in Jerichow Monastery, in St. Mary's Church Salzwedel, or in the Katharinenkirche Music Forum in Stendal. “Culture in special locations” is therefore not an advertising slogan, but the program itself.
The Motto 2026: Recognizing Happiness
Reinhard Seehafer, artistic director and composer, has placed the 2026 festival under the motto “Recognizing Happiness” — an invitation to consciously perceive the small and large moments of happiness that often go unnoticed in everyday life. The program ranges from Liszt piano evenings and baroque vocal music to jazz crossover projects. 420 artists from 21 nations are involved, including internationally acclaimed pianists such as Hans H. Suh (South Korea) and Keita Chida (Japan), as well as the Regensburger Domspatzen choir.
Rooted in the State of Saxony-Anhalt
The Altmark is a distinct cultural region in the north of the state of Saxony-Anhalt — flat, sparsely populated, characterized by Brick Gothic architecture and Hanseatic cities like Stendal, Tangermünde, and Salzwedel. The festival brings an international level to this landscape without smoothing out its unique character. The districts of Altmarkkreis Salzwedel and Stendal are the patrons, and Michael Pohl is the commercial director. The festival is considered one of the defining cultural events in the state.
Altmark Festspiele — edition 2026
From May 16 to September 5, 2026, the Altmark Festspiele will once again span the entire region between Stendal, Salzwedel, Jerichow, and Tangermünde with its musical offerings. 29 concerts, 420 artists from 21 nations, 18 venues — the festival under artistic director Reinhard Seehafer retains its successful format. The opening weekend on May 16 and 17, 2026, will take place for the third consecutive year in the Alstom locomotive hall in Stendal, an actively used industrial facility whose unusual acoustics have become its trademark. “Bohemian Rhapsody in Steel and Sound” is the title of the opening program featuring South Korean pianist Hans H. Suh and the Czech National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Reinhard Seehafer.
Programme Altmark Festspiele 2026
Opening Weekend — May 16/17, 2026
- May 16, 2026 — “Bohemian Rhapsody in Steel and Sound”: Hans H. Suh (Piano, South Korea) & Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Conductor Reinhard Seehafer (Alstom Locomotive Hall Stendal)
- May 17, 2026 — Second opening concert in the Alstom Hall Stendal
Summer Program — June to August 2026
- July 11, 2026, 5:00 PM — Regensburger Domspatzen (St. Mary's Church Salzwedel)
- August 22, 2026, 5:00 PM — “Keys on Fire”: Keita Chida (Piano, Japan) plays Liszt — Vallée d'Obermann & Dante Sonata (Katharinenkirche Music Forum Stendal)
- Further concerts in Jerichow Monastery, Tangermünde, Storkau Castle, and other venues — full list at altmarkfestspiele.de/programm-2026
Closing — September 5, 2026
- Season finale (program to be announced on the festival website)
The complete program with all 29 concerts and 18 venues is available on the official website; individual dates will be added to the detailed pages during the season.
Highlights Altmark Festspiele 2026
Prices Altmark Festspiele 2026
Practical information — Altmark Festspiele
Getting There
The venues are spread throughout the Altmark region. Stendal is an ICE train stop (Berlin–Hanover line), and Salzwedel is accessible by regional train (RE). A car is recommended for many venues in the villages — the festival publishes a detailed page with travel tips for each concert.
Tickets
Advance sales start several months before each concert via the official website and by phone at +49 3907 7763880. Single tickets start at approx. €30. Discounts for young people under 18 (€10), students, and people with disabilities. Children under 14 have free admission to many concerts.
Background
Administrative office in Stendal. Festival office: Schadewachten 48, 39576 Stendal. Detailed information, program, and artist biographies at altmarkfestspiele.de.
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Travel to this festival
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Where it takes place Altmark Festspiele
18 Spielstätten in der gesamten Altmark (u.a. Alstom-Halle Stendal, Marienkirche Salzwedel, Kloster Jerichow)
Schadewachten 48, 39576 Stendal