International Bach Festival Hamburg
Bach Dynasty in Northern Germany: 50 Events at 50 Locations
About Bach Festival Hamburg
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The Bach Family in Hamburg
While Leipzig is Johann Sebastian's city, Hamburg was home to an entire Bach dynasty for centuries: Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Johann Sebastian's second-oldest son, served here for twenty years as municipal Music Director (1768–1788). His uncle Georg Philipp Telemann, a close family friend, was Hamburg's Music Director for decades; his half-brother Johann Christian Bach wrote operas for the Hamburg Opera. The International Bach Festival Hamburg, organized by the Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Academy, has been celebrating this heritage as a festival since 2020.
Over 50 Events, 100 Ensembles
For two and a half weeks in April, over 50 venues will open their doors to more than 100 ensembles and 100 artists. The main stages are the Elbphilharmonie and the Laeiszhalle; in addition, the major Hamburg churches (St. Michaelis, St. Petri, St. Jacobi, St. Katharinen), museums, and smaller halls will be used.
HANSE.BAROQUE.NETZWERK
Under the series title "HANSE.BAROQUE.NETZWERK", the 2026 Bach Festival broadens its scope to include the Hanseatic cities: Lübeck, Bremen, and Lüneburg will simultaneously host performances of Johann Sebastian's Passions in their main churches. The festival utilizes the shared cultural heritage of the North German Hanseatic cities as a resonance space – a unique federal concept that no other Bach festival in Germany offers in this form.
Bach Festival Hamburg — edition 2026
Four Weeks of the Bach Family
From Wednesday, April 1 to Friday, April 17, 2026, the fourth International Bach Festival Hamburg will take place. Over 50 events are spread across two and a half weeks: concerts, talks, networking meetings, sing-alongs, lectures. Over 100 ensembles and 100 artists are involved.
Series Title "HANSE.BAROQUE.NETZWERK"
The 2026 festival curatorially opens beyond Hamburg's city limits: The main churches in Lübeck, Bremen, and Lüneburg invite you to various Passions by Johann Sebastian Bach and become part of the festival program. This creates a Hanseatic Bach network that picks up on the historically close connection of these cities to the Bach family.
Programme Bach Festival Hamburg 2026
Highlights 2026 (confirmed)
- Mon, April 6 – "Amadis de Gaule" by Johann Christian Bach, Elbphilharmonie
- Thu, April 9 – "Oboe Concertos & Symphonies" by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Elbphilharmonie
- Tue, April 14 – "The Art of Fugue" by Johann Sebastian Bach, Laeiszhalle
- Fri, April 17 – "Secular Cantatas", Laeiszhalle (Closing Concert)
HANSE.BAROQUE.NETZWERK – Passions in the Hanseatic Cities
- Lübeck – Marienkirche / Dom: Bach Passion
- Bremen – Bremer Dom: Bach Passion
- Lüneburg – St. Michaelis (Bach's former school town): Bach Passion
Formats
- Concerts – sacred and symphonic, in the Elbphilharmonie, Laeiszhalle, and the main churches
- Talks & Networking Meetings – Bach research, performance practice, Early Music today
- Sing-Alongs – Audience sings Bach chorales with a professional ensemble
- Chamber Concerts in museums, small halls, historic ensembles
Full Program
Over 50 additional program items will be published in Spring 2026 on cpe-bach-akademie.de/bachfest.
Highlights Bach Festival Hamburg 2026
Prices Bach Festival Hamburg 2026
Practical information — Bach Festival Hamburg
Tickets
Via the CPE-Bach Academy and the respective venues (Elbphilharmonie, Laeiszhalle, main churches).
Venues Hamburg
Elbphilharmonie (Platz der Deutschen Einheit), Laeiszhalle (Johannes-Brahms-Platz), St. Michaelis Church, St. Petri, St. Jacobi, St. Katharinen, among others.
Hanseatic Venues
Lübeck, Bremen, Lüneburg – each with its main church and selected Bach programs.
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Travel to this festival
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Where it takes place Bach Festival Hamburg
Elbphilharmonie, Laeiszhalle, Hauptkirchen (St. Michaelis, St. Petri, St. Jacobi), Hansestädte Lübeck/Bremen/Lüneburg