Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci 2026 – “Light”
Baroque and Classical Festival in the Palaces and Gardens of Frederick the Great
About Musikfestspiele Sanssouci
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Classical Music in a World Heritage Site
The Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci are among the most important early music festivals in Germany. Since 1991, the festival has transformed the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Palaces and Gardens of Sanssouci into a unique concert space every summer. In 2026, the 33rd edition will be held under the motto “Light” – a theme that both captures the Enlightenment philosophy of Frederick the Great and showcases the architectural qualities of the venues.
Venues in the State Capital
Hardly any other festival in Brandenburg can draw on such a comparable selection of historical performance venues: Sanssouci Palace, Orangery Palace with its Raphael Hall and Palm House, New Chambers, New Palace, Friedenskirche, Marble Palace, Nikolaisaal, Belvedere on Pfingstberg Hill, and Filmpark Babelsberg. Each hall, each church, each avenue writes its own chapter of the festival program with its acoustics and play of light.
Stars of Early Music
The 2026 program features performances by countertenors Andreas Scholl and Valer Sabadus, violinist Franziska Hölscher, pianist Kit Armstrong, and harpsichordist Christine Schornsheim. The Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, the ensemble Il Pomo d'Oro with Nicolas Altstaedt, and the Cantus Thuringia Barockorchester under Michael Hofstetter are among the festival's ensembles.
Highlights
The opening on June 12 in the Friedenskirche is titled “Apollo, God of Light.” A day later, the Alter Markt will be transformed into an open-air stage: Il Pomo d'Oro will perform Handel's “Music for the Royal Fireworks” under the open sky. From June 24 to 26, the opera production “Cefalo e Procride” will premiere in the Schlosstheater Neues Palais. On June 19, Valer Sabadus will take on the title role in Gluck's “Orpheus” in the Friedenskirche. The closing event on June 28 will be the open-air concert “Midsommardrömmen”.
A Festival for Wandering
Characteristic of the Musikfestspiele are the lunch and walking concerts: a morning in the Palm House of the New Garden, a transition through the grotto below the Maulbeerallee, and the afternoon in the Raphael Hall of the Orangery. Guided concert bike tours connect several venues. Family formats like “Sparkling Light” at the Potsdam Film Museum also open the festival to young audiences.
Brandenburg's Crown Jewel of Sound
The Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci are the musical flagship of the state capital and the state of Brandenburg. They attract around 30,000 visitors annually and are considered – alongside the Berlinale and the Ruhr Triennale – one of the most renowned classical festivals in eastern Germany.
Musikfestspiele Sanssouci — edition 2026
Three weeks of festival with the motto “Light”: the program focuses on the Enlightenment and its musical expressions, from Baroque light symbolism to Romanticism. Opening on June 12 in the Friedenskirche with the program “Apollo, God of Light.” A day later, an open-air event on the Alter Markt: Il Pomo d'Oro with Nicolas Altstaedt performs Handel's Fireworks Music.
Opera highlights: the premiere of “Cefalo e Procride” in the Schlosstheater Neues Palais (June 24–26) and Gluck's “Orpheus” in the Friedenskirche on June 19 with Valer Sabadus in the title role. Closing: the open-air concert “Midsommardrömmen” on June 28.
Programme Musikfestspiele Sanssouci 2026
Opening Weekend (June 12–14)
- Fri, June 12, 5:30 PM — Ehrenhof Sanssouci Palace: Guided Tour “An Italian Brings the Light”
- Fri, June 12, 8:00 PM — Friedenskirche Sanssouci: Church Concert “Apollo, God of Light” (Opening)
- Sat, June 13, 11:00 AM — Potsdam Film Museum: Family Concert “Sparkling Light”
- Sat, June 13, 2:00 PM — Potsdam Film Museum: “Festival in the Rearview Mirror”
- Sat, June 13, 6:00 PM — Raphael Hall, Orangery Palace: Palace Concert “Invisible Cities”
- Sat, June 13, 9:00 PM — Alter Markt: Open-Air “Fireworks Music”, Il Pomo d'Oro with Nicolas Altstaedt
- Sun, June 14, 9:00 AM — Grotto below Maulbeerallee: “Goddesses of the Sun”
- Sun, June 14, 11:00 AM — Palm House, New Garden: Palace Concert “Sunny Versailles”
- Sun, June 14, 2:00 PM — Neues Palais: Guided Tour “Between Night and Light”
- Sun, June 14, 8:00 PM — Friedenskirche Sanssouci: Church Concert “And There Was Light!”
Second Half of the Festival (June 15–28)
- Fri, June 19, 8:00 PM — Friedenskirche: Opera “Orpheus” by Gluck with Valer Sabadus and Cantus Thuringia Barockorchester (Conducted by Michael Hofstetter)
- Wed, June 24 – Fri, June 26 — Schlosstheater Neues Palais: Opera Premiere “Cefalo e Procride”
- Sun, June 28 — Open-Air Closing Concert “Midsommardrömmen”
- In between: Lunch concerts, palace concerts, concert bike tours, guided tours
Performers
Andreas Scholl (Countertenor), Valer Sabadus (Countertenor), Franziska Hölscher (Violin), Kit Armstrong (Piano), Christine Schornsheim (Harpsichord), Freiburger Barockorchester, Il Pomo d'Oro, Cantus Thuringia Barockorchester.
Highlights Musikfestspiele Sanssouci 2026
Opening in the Friedenskirche, Fireworks Music open-air on the Alter Markt, opera premiere “Cefalo e Procride” in the Schlosstheater Neues Palais, Gluck's “Orpheus” with Valer Sabadus, closing “Midsommardrömmen” on June 28.
Prices Musikfestspiele Sanssouci 2026
Tickets range from approx. €15 (family formats, guided tours) to €95 (gala concerts, opera), depending on the concert. Open-air concert “Fireworks Music” on June 13 on the Alter Markt: free admission.
Practical information — Musikfestspiele Sanssouci
Getting There
Potsdam Main Station (RE1, S7 from Berlin). Tram 91/92 or 94/96 to most venues. By car via the A115 or B1, park-and-ride recommended.
Tickets
Via www.musikfestspiele-potsdam.de, at the festival box office in the Kutschstall (Am Neuen Markt 9), or by phone at +49 331 2888828.
Tip
The open-air concert on June 13 on the Alter Markt is free of charge – arrive early.
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Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a Musikfestspiele Sanssouci al mejor precio.
Sponsored link
Where it takes place Musikfestspiele Sanssouci
Schloss Sanssouci und weitere Spielstätten
Schopenhauerstraße 24, 14467 Potsdam