Kammeroper Schloss Rheinsberg – Festival Summer

Rheinsberg Castle – A Place of Enlightenment Longing

Kammeroper Schloss Rheinsberg is located at one of Brandenburg's most beautiful castles: Rheinsberg Castle was the residence of Crown Prince Friedrich II. from 1734 to 1740 – the happiest time of his life, as he later confessed – and subsequently passed to his brother Prince Heinrich, who worked here for 50 years. The castle on Lake Grienerick, with its baroque park and hedge theatre, is one of Northern Germany's most significant cultural landscapes.

35th International Festival 2026

Since 1991, the International Festival of Young Opera Singers has taken place at Rheinsberg Castle every summer – one of the most prestigious support programs for young European opera talent. In 2026, the festival celebrates its 35th edition; throughout the summer (June 30 to September 6), 28 performances are scheduled.

Motto: Heinrich and Wilhelmine

The festival motto "A Journey of Discovery with Heinrich and Wilhelmine" commemorates the 300th birthdays of Prince Heinrich of Prussia (1726–1802) and his sister Wilhelmine (Margravine of Bayreuth, 1709–1758). Both were music-loving patrons and maintained a vibrant opera scene at their courts.

The Three Main Productions

• "The Barber of Seville" by Giovanni Paisiello (not Rossini!) – the older, pre-Rossini setting of the Beaumarchais story. Performances July 11–25, 2026 in the Castle Theatre with the Kammerakademie Potsdam.
• "Bluebeard" (Raoul Barbe-bleue) by André Grétry – as a Castle Courtyard Open-Air from August 7–16, 2026 with the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin.
• "Dollhouse" by Clemens K. Thomas – World premiere as the festival finale on September 5 and 6, 2026.

Festival Highlights 2026

• June 30 – Jazz Fetz Open Air with Big Brass Neuruppin on the castle forecourt.
• July 2–4 – Opera Gala with the Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt in the castle courtyard.
• July 5 – Park Festival "Chess with Philidor" (François-André Danican Philidor, composer and chess genius).
• July 19 – Midsommar Swedish Summer Festival with folk, jazz, and a cappella in the hedge theatre.
• August 21 – Concert by the Bundesjazzorchester (BuJazzO).

Rheinsberg Music Days at Pentecost

Even before the main festival, the supplementary series "Rheinsberg Music Days at Pentecost" runs from May 22 to 25, 2026 – including a courtyard open-air with the bands Haute Cuisine and JO:NA. Several concerts with free admission.

International Talent Support

Every year, the festival awards around 30 scholarships to young opera singers from around the world, who reside at the castle, work with renowned coaches, and take on the leading roles in the main productions. The careers of many singers now celebrated internationally began in Rheinsberg.