Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern — Bleckede Castle Courtyard Concerts

Festspiele MV — one of Germany's largest classical festivals

Founded in 1990, the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has been a cornerstone of classical music in Northern Germany for three decades. With over 200 concerts at more than 100 venues between June and September, the festival is among the three largest classical music festivals in Germany. The choice of venues is a central element of the Festspiele: manor houses, castles, churches, barns, industrial buildings, and open-air spaces are transformed for the concert evenings, creating unique connections between music, architecture, and landscape.

Bleckede — Lower Saxony outpost of the Festspiele MV

The castle courtyard of Bleckede Elbe Castle has been a regular venue for the Festspiele MV for years — on the Lower Saxony side of the Elbe. This makes Bleckede a special outpost: while the majority of venues are located in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the festival organizers bring the Festspiel magic to the Lower Saxony Elbe Floodplain Biosphere Reserve with the Bleckede open-air concerts. The 120-square-meter stage is set up in the castle courtyard, which offers an extraordinary acoustic and atmospheric backdrop due to the castle's Renaissance architecture and its location on the banks of the Elbe.

"Vergnügte Sommernacht" and "Von Tango bis Polka"

In 2026, Bleckede will host two concert evenings with different characters. On Tuesday, June 23, 2026, Lithuanian accordionist Martynas Levickis and his chamber ensemble Mikroorkéstra will perform "Vergnügte Sommernacht" — a program ranging from Vivaldi, Brahms, the Strauss family, to Karl Jenkins, Yann Tiersen, and Lithuanian folk songs. On Friday, June 26, 2026, a concert evening titled "Von Tango bis Polka" will follow, which, like its predecessor, combines classical music with folk roots. The exact lineup and program will be published by the Festspiele MV in advance on the official website.

Bleckede Elbe Castle and its Courtyard

Bleckede Elbe Castle is a Renaissance castle from the 15th century, which today houses the Biosphaerium Elbtalaue. The castle courtyard forms a closed architectural frame that offers ideal conditions for open-air concerts. With nearly 1,000 seats around the stage, Bleckede is one of the medium-sized venues of the Festspiele MV — intimate enough for a concentrated listening experience and large enough for the full festival atmosphere.