NDR Radiophilharmonie and international voices under the open sky – Opera for everyone, free admission
Maschpark is situated between the New Town Hall and Maschsee, one of Hanover's most beautiful inner-city green spaces. Once every summer, it transforms into the venue for a large-scale classical open-air concert, offering the kind of scale that Hanover usually only experiences in the NDR's concert hall or the opera house. The stage is set up in front of the New Town Hall, and the audience area stretches along the small Maschteich pond.
The NDR Radiophilharmonie is one of Germany's most important radio orchestras, based in Hanover. It performs regularly in the broadcasting house and the TUI Arena and has an international presence through its radio broadcasts. With the Open Air event, it brings its musical culture into the public urban space, making it accessible to an audience beyond the typical concert hall visitor.
Under the baton of Stanislav Kochanovsky, one of the most sought-after Russian conductors of his generation, the program will feature works by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Alexander Borodin, Giacomo Puccini, Jules Massenet, and Erich Wolfgang Korngold. The program thus moves between Russian Romanticism, Italian and French opera, and late Romantic-American repertoire.
The soprano role will be performed by Oksana Dyka, a Ukrainian singer with an extensive repertoire of Italian and Russian opera roles. Armenian tenor Liparit Avetisyan is a member of the Vienna State Opera ensemble and is considered among the best of his generation. Russian baritone Boris Pinkhasovich possesses a powerful, lyrically shaped vocal character and is a regular guest at international opera houses.
The motto Opera for Everyone is programmatic: Admission is free, and the audience area is open to all. Blankets and picnics are permitted; seating is not provided. Those who arrive early can secure a spot with a good view of the stage.
The program alternates between symphonic pieces and grand opera arias. Works such as the Polovtsian Dances finale from Borodin's Prince Igor, arias from Puccini's La Bohème and Tosca, excerpts from Massenet's Werther or Hérodiade, and sequences from Korngold's Die tote Stadt are program elements that have sustained the format for years.
Typically, a slightly different program is presented on each evening, allowing repeat attendees to experience additional pieces. The exact setlists will be published by the organizer in the weeks leading up to the event on hannover-klassik-open-air.de.
Saturday, August 22 and Sunday, August 23, 2026. Concerts begin in the evening; exact times will be published on the official website.
Maschpark by the New Town Hall, 30169 Hanover. Entrances via the Town Hall grounds and from the north shore of Maschsee.
Tram lines 1, 2, and 8, stop Aegidientorplatz. Approximately a 10-minute walk from Hanover Central Station or a short tram ride.
Free admission, no reservations possible. Arriving early is recommended, as good spots are quickly taken.
Blankets and cushions are allowed. Picnics are possible. Limited catering services will be available. In case of extreme weather, alternative or substitute arrangements will be made.
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