Gegen den Strom – Festival on the Lahn

The Festival Gegen den Strom is one of the ambitious multi-genre festivals in Rhineland-Palatinate. For six months – from May 2nd to October 31st, 2026 – it will host around 30 events throughout the entire Lahn valley between Lahnstein and Diez.

The concept focuses on the combination of extraordinary venues with a broad cultural programme: music (from chamber music and jazz to contemporary forms), theatre, dance, literature, philosophy. This breadth of genres is part of the programme – it reflects the idea that a true cultural landscape encompasses all the arts.

The venues include some of the most atmospheric spaces along the Lahn: the Marmorsaal in the Staatsbad Bad Ems, Nassau Castle high above the Lahn valley, Arnstein Monastery in Obernhof, and the St. Kastor Church in Dausenau.

The 2026 programme includes:

• May 30th, 2026: Ensemble DUOMO
• June 7th, 2026: Matinée for World Heritage Day
• June 20th, 2026: Residance Orchester Cassel
• July 2nd, 2026: Günter-Leifheit Memorial Concert
• July 4th, 2026: FluteINVENTION

The festival is part of the Rhineland-Palatinate Cultural Summer 2026 with the guiding theme “The Golden Twenties”. This thematic framework allows artists the scope to explore the departure, glamour, and modernity, but also the shadows of that era.

Many concerts and readings are free to attend; some events require tickets.