Göttingen Handel Festival – City Tour

Handel Festival and its City Tour

The International Handel Festival Göttingen was founded in 1920 and is considered one of the oldest and most renowned Handel festivals worldwide. It has significantly contributed to the rediscovery of George Frideric Handel's operas in the 20th century and continues to shape international Handel performance practice today. The festival takes place every May in Göttingen, bringing together international soloists, baroque orchestras, and vocal ensembles.

City Tour as Supporting Program

The city tour is part of the festival's free supporting program and is aimed at both festival guests and the people of Göttingen. It leads to the central venues of the festival and performance history – including the Deutsches Theater Göttingen as the current main venue, the University Auditorium (Aula), the Stadthalle, and other historical performance sites.

Historical Connections

The tour explains the historical connections between Göttingen and Handel research. Key topics include the founding of the festival in the 1920s by Oskar Hagen, the importance of Göttingen musicology for the rediscovery of Handel's operas, the performance history of individual works, and the development of the festival to the present day.

Low-Threshold Access

By being free of charge, the festival deliberately lowers the barrier for visitors who may not necessarily be able or wish to attend the expensive main performances but still want to participate in the festival. The city tour thus combines the festival's cultural aspirations with social openness towards the wider Göttingen population.