State Brass Festival 2026 in Lübben — "With Heart and Mouth"

Grand Brass Festival in Lübben (Spreewald)

The State Brass Festival 2026 of the Evangelical Church District of Niederlausitz is one of the largest church music events of the year in Brandenburg. From June 12 to 14, 2026, around 500 brass players from over 50 brass choirs from Brandenburg, Berlin, Potsdam, Cottbus, and Niederlausitz will gather in the Spreewald town of Lübben. The motto: "With Heart and Mouth" — a quote from Paul Gerhardt's famous hymn. Lübben was the place of work for the great Protestant hymn writer from 1668 until his death in 1676; 2026 marks the year of the Paul Gerhardt commemoration.

Friday, June 12, 2026 — Serenades in the Villages

The event will kick off on Friday evening from 6:00 PM with serenades in 14 villages in Niederlausitz: smaller brass ensembles will play in front of churches, on village squares, and in the Spreewald villages. At 8:00 PM, the grand opening concert with Hauptstadtblech and Jürgen Hahn's Special Little Big Band will begin on Lübben's market square. A parallel evening concert with Hauptstadtblech will take place in the Paul Gerhardt Church.

Saturday, June 13, 2026 — Opening and Concerts

Saturday begins at 10:00 AM with the opening service and joint rehearsals on the market square. From 1:30 PM, various ensembles will play square concerts in the old town; at the same time, accompanying activities such as brass barge trips through the Spreewald will take place. At 4:00 PM, there will be festive music on the market square, and from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM, the grand concert evening with several brass ensembles.

Sunday, June 14, 2026 — Celebratory Service

Sunday concludes the festival with a grand celebratory service on the market square at 11:00 AM, with a sermon by Bishop Dr. Christian Stäblein (State Bishop of the Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia). Over 500 brass players will accompany the service — an impressive soundscape over Lübben.

Lübben and Paul Gerhardt

Paul Gerhardt (1607–1676) is considered the most important Protestant hymn writer of the Baroque era. Hymns such as "Befiehl du deine Wege," "O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden," or "Geh aus, mein Herz, und suche Freud" are still part of church services today. The Paul Gerhardt Church in Lübben, named after him, is his place of work and burial site — and thus the natural venue for the 2026 brass festival.