Summer Night Open Air with the Kassel State Orchestra

A Summer Evening with the State Orchestra

The Summer Night Open Air is Kassel's symphonic summer highlight: once in August, the Kassel State Orchestra – the traditional orchestra of the Hessian State Theatre, whose history dates back to the time of the Landgraves – performs an open-air concert on the Karlswiese / Hessenkampfbahn on the edge of the Karlsaue. The next edition will take place on Friday, August 14, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.

Ainārs Rubiķis Conducts

On the podium is the Latvian conductor Ainārs Rubiķis, General Music Director of the Kassel State Theatre since 2024. Rubiķis has an international career – Berlin Komische Oper, Theater Lübeck, guest appearances worldwide – and brings a special mix of classical-romantic core repertoire and crossover programs to Kassel. The Summer Night Open Air is his format for a broader audience.

Popular Classics in Open Air Format

The program includes popular melodies from the world of classical music – overtures, movements from symphonies, opera choruses, light classics. It is conceived not as an educational program, but as a summer evening experience for people who do not regularly attend the opera house but want to enjoy a good classical evening outdoors. The concept has been successful for many years.

The Karlsaue as a Venue

The Karlsaue is Kassel's large baroque floodplain park, one of the most important venues for documenta outdoor installations, and at the same time the city's most significant park. The Hessenkampfbahn (the former trotting race stadium) is located on the edge of the Karlsaue. The concert will be set up on the adjacent Karlswiese – an open meadow with a stage, seating and standing areas, and a picnic area. Those who want to enjoy the entire summery Kassel setting should arrive early and use the Karlsaue for a stroll before the concert.

Seating, Standing, and Picnics

Unlike concerts with only reserved seating, the Summer Night Open Air is deliberately designed for variety: seats in the front rows, standing room further back, and picnic spots for families and groups. Those who bring a blanket can sit on the meadow. This mix defines its character – not a stiff concert atmosphere, but a relaxed open-air experience.

Part of an Open Air Series

The concert is the third event in the 2026 Summer Open Air series at the Hessenkampfbahn, produced by the Kassel State Theatre in collaboration with Kassel Marketing GmbH and MM Konzerte GmbH. The series has been one of Kassel's most successful open-air formats for years.