Name: Happy Birthday Händel — Messiah Concert 2026
Start: 2026-02-26T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-02-28T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Händel-Halle, Marktkirche und Händel-Denkmal

Happy Birthday Händel

About Happy Birthday Händel

Every year at the end of February, Halle (Saale) celebrates the birthday of its most famous son: Georg Friedrich Händel, born locally in 1685. Around 450 singers from Halle's partner cities come to the city for three days to perform the "Messiah" together with the Staatskapelle Halle. In 2026, for the 341st birthday.

Dates 26 Feb — 28 Feb 2026

Venue Halle (Saale) (15002)

Prices 0.00€ — 65.00€

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Happy Birthday Händel — edition 2026

Tickets →

For the 341st birthday of Georg Friedrich Händel, Halle celebrates three concert days from February 26 to 28, 2026. The highlight is the performance of "Messiah" on Saturday evening with about 450 singers from around the world and the Staatskapelle Halle under Proinnsías O'Duinn.

The 341st Händel birthday is spread over three concert evenings: Thursday features a public serenade at the Händel Monument, Friday brings together the international choirs in the Marktkirche, and Saturday culminates in the grand Messiah concert in the Händel-Halle.

The list of participating singers ranges from Oxford to Barcelona to Dublin and Grenoble. Around 450 voices bring the oratorio to life — from intimate, delicate solos to massive choral passages. They are accompanied by the Staatskapelle Halle, the city's own orchestra. The baton is wielded by Irish conductor Proinnsías O'Duinn, a long-time artistic partner of the festival.

Highlights Happy Birthday Händel 2026

341st Händel Birthday — 450 international singers — Messiah with Staatskapelle Halle — Irish conductor O'Duinn — two of the three concerts free — three symbolic venues

Programme Happy Birthday Händel 2026

Thursday, February 26, 2026 — Birthday Serenade

4:30 PM — Serenade at the Händel Monument on the Market Square: Wreath-laying ceremony, followed by a flash mob where local and international guests sing well-known pieces together, accompanied by brass instruments and the carillon of the Roter Turm
Free admission

Friday, February 27, 2026 — Choir Evening

7:30 PM — "Choir Sounds from Near and Far" in the Marktkirche Unser Lieben Frauen: Performances by participating choirs from Germany, Ireland, France, and England
Free admission

Saturday, February 28, 2026 — Messiah

7:30 PM — Performance of Händel's "Messiah" in the Händel-Halle
Performers: approx. 450 singers from Oxford, Barcelona, Dublin, Grenoble, etc., Staatskapelle Halle
Musical Direction: Proinnsías O'Duinn
Tickets required, advance booking via Eventim

Prices Happy Birthday Händel 2026

Thursday (Händel Monument): free. Friday (Marktkirche): free. Saturday (Messiah, Händel-Halle): ticket required (approx. €25–€65), advance booking Eventim.

Practical information

Practical information — Happy Birthday Händel

Getting There

Train: Halle (Saale) Hbf, ICE connections from Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg. Market square approx. 12 min. walk, Händel-Halle 15 min. Car: A14 exit Halle-Trotha or Halle-Peißen.

Admission

February 26 (Serenade Händel Monument): free. February 27 (Choir Sounds Marktkirche): free. February 28 (Messiah in Händel-Halle): ticket required, advance booking via Eventim and box office.

On Site

Three venues in the city center, all within walking distance. Cloakroom available in the Händel-Halle, accessible.

Halle's Favourite Composer's Birthday

Georg Friedrich Händel was born on February 23, 1685, in Halle an der Saale — and since 2000, the city has used this birthday as an occasion for an international choir festival. The initiator and organizer is the association Happy Birthday Händel, which is also active outside Halle under the name Messiah World Tour (in 2026, for example, in Dublin and London).

The concept is both simple and impressive: Around 450 singers from Halle's partner cities and cooperation choirs in Dublin, Oxford, Barcelona, Grenoble, and other locations travel to Halle for a weekend, rehearse together, and perform Händel's famous oratorio "Messiah" on Sunday. The Staatskapelle Halle accompanies, and the musical direction is often taken over by Proinnsías O'Duinn from Ireland.

Three Days, Three Locations

The festival weekend is spread across three symbolic locations in Halle: The Händel Monument on the market square for the birthday serenade, the Marktkirche for the choir evenings, and the Händel-Halle for the grand finale concert. Two events are free of charge; only the Messiah concert in the Händel-Halle requires a ticket.

Halle (Saale) — Händel City on the Edge of the Burgenland District

With around 240,000 inhabitants, Halle is the largest city in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. The independent city is located in the south of the state, on the edge of the Saalekreis district, easily accessible from Leipzig (ICE 20 min.), Berlin (75 min.), and Magdeburg. The old town with its market square, Roter Turm (Red Tower), Marktkirche, and Händel House can be explored well on foot — all Happy Birthday Händel concert venues are within a 10-minute walk of each other.

A Festival with Tradition

Happy Birthday Händel has been held continuously since the year 2000. Over 25 editions have made the format an international tradition — choirs from 14 countries have participated over the years. The 2026 edition is the 27th.