Lausitz Festival 2026 — Opening Görlitz
Festival opening in Görlitz's Peterskirche with the first Credo Prize and excerpts from Bach's B minor Mass — August 25, 2026
About Lausitz Festival Görlitz
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Görlitz as Opening City
The 7th edition of the Lausitz Festival begins on August 25, 2026, in Görlitz's Peterskirche. This late Gothic hall church on the Neisse river, built between 1423 and 1497 — with a view of Polish Zgorzelec on the other side of the river — forms the backdrop for the festive festival opening. Görlitz, Germany's easternmost city and a German-Polish twin city since 2009, is one of the 37 venues for the 2026 festival edition.
Bach and the First Credo Prize
The central event of the opening is the inaugural presentation of the newly established Credo Prize. French composer and conductor Sylvain Cambreling will lead the evening; the parts «Kyrie» and «Gloria» from Johann Sebastian Bach's B minor Mass BWV 232 will be performed, sung by the British Tenebrae Choir, whose members will also take on the solo parts. The «Missa», which Bach submitted in Dresden in 1733 to obtain the position of court composer from Elector August III, thus plays a doubly symbolic role: as a historical application piece for Saxony and as the opening of a festival dedicated to the question of what «creative» means today.
Further Görlitz Program Points
Görlitz will feature two additional program points during the festival. At the Kulturforum Görlitzer Synagoge, Corinna Harfouch will read from Lithuanian literature — the evening is part of the accompanying program that focuses on Eastern European literature and theatre in 2026. A second concert by the Tenebrae Choir will also take place in Görlitz — a rare opportunity to experience the renowned British vocal ensemble in Germany's easternmost city.
Lausitz Festival — Bridges Between Countries
Founded in 2020, the Lausitz Festival sees itself as a cultural platform for the bilingual Lower and Upper Lusatia — the region between Cottbus, Görlitz, Hoyerswerda, and Bautzen, where Germans and Sorbs have lived together for centuries. With venues in Brandenburg and Saxony, in major cities like Cottbus and Görlitz, and in villages like Domsdorf or Herrnhut, the festival creates a dense network of artistic encounters. Festival motto 2026: «creative» — a reflection on humans as creatures and creators.
Lausitz Festival Görlitz — edition 2026
Lausitz Festival 2026 in Görlitz
Görlitz is the opening city for the Lausitz Festival in 2026. On August 25, the 7th edition of the festival begins in the late Gothic Peterskirche on the Neisse river — with the inaugural presentation of the Credo Prize and a concert opening. During the festival, Görlitz will host two further program points: a reading by Corinna Harfouch at the Kulturforum Görlitzer Synagoge, and a standalone concert by the Tenebrae Choir.
Programme Lausitz Festival Görlitz 2026
Lausitz Festival 2026 — Görlitz Program
August 25, 2026 — Festival Opening Peterskirche Görlitz
- Presentation of the first-ever Credo Prize
- Performance of «Kyrie» and «Gloria» from Johann Sebastian Bach's B minor Mass BWV 232
- Tenebrae Choir (London) — Choir and soloists
- Musical Direction: Sylvain Cambreling
- Venue: Parish Church St. Peter und Paul
Further Görlitz Program Points
- Corinna Harfouch — Reading of Lithuanian Literature at the Kulturforum Görlitzer Synagoge
- Tenebrae Choir — standalone concert in Görlitz (exact date according to festival program)
Festival 2026 — Regional Highlights
- «Hamlet» in Cottbus — with Corinna Harfouch, Götz Schubert, and Linn Reusse, directed by Marcel Kohler
- Christoph Marthaler «Erste letzte Sekunde» (Music Theatre)
- Michael Sturminger «Das Mahl» — World Premiere in Weißwasser
- Tenebrae Choir 25th Anniversary Concert in Forst
- Pierre-Laurent Aimard — Kurtág and Bach
- Vincent Peirani Jazz Trio in the historic briquette factory Louise (Domsdorf)
Complete program and tickets: lausitz-festival.eu/de/programm.
Highlights Lausitz Festival Görlitz 2026
- Festival opening on August 25, 2026, in Görlitz's Peterskirche
- Inaugural presentation of the Credo Prize
- Bach B minor Mass (Kyrie + Gloria) with Tenebrae Choir, conducted by Sylvain Cambreling
- Corinna Harfouch — Reading at the Görlitz Synagogue
- Tenebrae Choir with a solo concert in Görlitz
- «Hamlet» in Cottbus with Harfouch, Schubert, Reusse
- Pierre-Laurent Aimard (Kurtág / Bach)
- 37 venues from Cottbus to Görlitz
- Inspirational theme 2026: «creative»
Prices Lausitz Festival Görlitz 2026
Tickets per performance — various price categories for theatre, concert, and reading evenings. Festival passes and discounted tickets for pupils, students, and seniors. Booking via lausitz-festival.eu.
Practical information — Lausitz Festival Görlitz
Opening Date Görlitz
Tuesday, August 25, 2026 — Festival opening with Credo Prize and Bach B minor Mass in the Peterskirche.
Full Festival
August 25 to September 13, 2026 — 37 venues in Brandenburg and Saxony (incl. Cottbus, Görlitz, Weißwasser, Großröhrsdorf, Forst, Herrnhut, Domsdorf).
Location Görlitz
Peterskirche St. Peter und Paul, Bei der Peterskirche 9, 02826 Görlitz. Further Görlitz venue: Kulturforum Görlitzer Synagoge, Otto-Müller-Straße 3.
Getting There
Train: ICE/EC to Dresden, RE to Görlitz (approx. 1h 30 min from Dresden). Car: A 4 exit Görlitz. City center within walking distance.
Tickets
Via lausitz-festival.eu. Various price categories per performance, festival passes available.
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Travel to this festival
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Where it takes place Lausitz Festival Görlitz
Görlitz — Peterskirche und Kulturforum Görlitzer Synagoge
Pfarrkirche St. Peter und Paul, Kulturforum Synagoge, 02826 Görlitz