Arolser Barock-Festspiele

40 Years of Early Music in the Palace

The Arolser Barock-Festspiele has been Hesse's most important Early Music festival and one of Germany's most distinguished since 1986. In 2026, the festival celebrates its 40th anniversary over five days for Ascension Day – from May 13th to 17th, 2026 – in a setting that could hardly be better: the Residenzschloss Bad Arolsen, one of the most beautiful preserved Baroque residences in Hesse, former seat of the Princes of Waldeck and Pyrmont.

Motto: Cycles

The 2026 festival motto is 'Cycles' – a programmatic statement. Grand dramaturgical arcs, exceptional concert programs, and strong artistic signatures characterize the anniversary program. The thematic spectrum ranges from Jean-Féry Rebel's revolutionary Chaos and Bach's dialogue cantatas to Renaissance carnival songs.

Dorothee Oberlinger as Artistic Director

Since 2009, Prof. Dorothee Oberlinger has been the artistic director – the renowned recorder player and Echo Klassik award winner, who regularly performs herself and brings the international network of the Early Music scene with her. Over the past 17 years, she has developed the festival into an established brand in the German festival landscape, in a league with the major Early Music festivals.

Venues – the Palace Ensemble

The concerts take place in three main locations: the Fürstliche Reitbahn (large hall with special acoustics), the Steinerner Saal of the Residenzschloss (intimate, magnificent), the Stadtkirche (sacred programs), and – as a special feature in 2026 – the Rauch-Museum with sculptures by Christian Daniel Rauch. This spatial diversity is part of the concept.

Opening with the Freiburger Barockorchester

The opening concert on Wednesday, May 13th, 2026, is already sold out: the renowned Freiburger Barockorchester performs with Dorothee Oberlinger and bass-baritone Sreten Manojlović in the Fürstliche Reitbahn, with a program from Rebels Chaos to Vivaldi and Handel.

Further Highlights

The Ensemble Sempreviva, the Neues Orchester (with Bach cantatas), the musical treasure hunt with Dorothee Oberlinger, mandolinist Alon Sariel, and the musicians of Los Temperamentos through the rooms of the Residenzschloss (Saturday), the mandolin program 'La Mandolina Espanola', and the closing concert 'Invisibili' with the Catalan countertenor Xavier Sabata and his Ensemble Vespres d'Arnadí – a program presenting forgotten composers between the Baroque and early Classical periods. Following the closing concert: a festive fireworks display in front of the palace.

Late-Night and Supporting Program

An Arolsen tradition is the Friday Late-Night at 10:30 PM in the Fürstliche Reitbahn – a more experimental, relaxed format after the main concerts. The supporting program includes musical cabaret, palace tours with musical interludes, and culinary offerings in the palace courtyard.