Mozartfest Würzburg

Over 100 Years of Mozart in Würzburg

The Mozartfest Würzburg was founded in 1921, making it the oldest Mozart festival in Germany – and one of the oldest classical music festivals worldwide. It is supported by the city of Würzburg, a self-governing episcopal and university city in Lower Franconia (Bavaria). Over more than 100 years, the festival has established itself as a central forum for the appreciation of Mozart and for the connection between historically informed performance practice and contemporary programming.

The Residence as a Baroque Stage

The main venue is the Würzburg Residence – one of the most magnificent palace complexes in Europe, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1981, and famous for the largest contiguous ceiling fresco in the world by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo in the staircase. Concerts take place in the Kaisersaal, the Hofgarten, the Spiegelkabinett, and numerous other historic rooms. Additional venues include the Marienberg Fortress, the Mainfränkisches Museum, churches such as the Cathedral of St. Kilian, the Neumünster, the Käppele pilgrimage church, and – as special trademarks – Würzburg's wine cellars and industrial monuments. This diversity makes the Mozartfest unique in the international festival calendar.

What Visitors Can Expect

• Around 90 concerts over a period of four weeks
• Mozart's works in the context of Baroque, Classical, and contemporary music
• Artiste étoile (star artist) and Artiste d'avenir (upcoming artist) each year
• Venues ranging from the Residence to industrial monuments
• Mozart at Night (Hofgarten concert), Mozart and More (chamber music), Mozart and the Piano, among others
• Accompanying program with symposia and educational offerings
• Encounters with top international classical artists

Theme 2026: »Evoked Beauty«

The theme for 2026 is »Evoked Beauty: Idol Mozart«. It explores how Mozart rose to become the incarnation of classical beauty in turbulent times – as an aesthetic ideal and a cultural idol. The organizers aim to create "sensory exploration spaces where beauty can be rediscovered beyond modern self-optimization." The Artiste étoile is violinist Tianwa Yang, and the Artiste d'avenir is percussionist Leonie Klein.

Würzburg, Wine, and Mozart

Würzburg is not only a Mozart festival city but also one of Franconia's leading wine regions. The Mozartfest deliberately plays with this dual identity: concerts in the historic wine cellars (Staatlicher Hofkeller, Bürgerspital, Juliusspital) combine classical music with Franconian wine culture. Visitors to the festival also experience Franconian lifestyle – Bocksbeutel bottles, Silvaner wine, and Franconian specialties in restaurants and "Heckenwirtschaften" (seasonal wine taverns).