Critic's choice
Festival
Pärnu Music Festival 2026
Founded by renowned conductor Paavo Järvi, the Pärnu Music Festival returns in 2026 with a special focus on Estonia’s natural beauty and the 35th anniversary of the country’s regained independence. Set in the charming Baltic seaside town of Pärnu, surrounded by forests, bogs and coastline, the festival reflects the deep connection between music, nature and national identity.
For Paavo Järvi, Pärnu is far more than a festival location. It is the place of his childhood summers, shared with his brother Kristjan Järvi and their father, the legendary conductor Neeme Järvi. This personal bond inspired the creation of the Järvi Academy in 2009 and, two years later, the Pärnu Music Festival, which has since become an internationally acclaimed meeting place for leading artists, emerging talents and contemporary composers.
The 2026 programme celebrates both heritage and innovation. Alongside world-class soloists, promising young musicians will make their major stage debuts, while four world premieres reaffirm the festival’s commitment to new music and contemporary artistic voices. Nature is a central theme, reflected in works by Estonian master Heino Eller and Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony. The festival concludes with a grand finale featuring pianists Rudolf Buchbinder and Alice Sara Ott performing Beethoven’s piano concertos with Paavo Järvi and the Estonian Festival Orchestra.
Festival
Krumlov Festival 2026
Festival Krumlov 2026: WhereStoriesBecome Music
Celebrating its 35th anniversary, Festival Krumlov has become one of Central Europe's leading summer classical music festivals. From 17 July to 8 August 2026, more than forty performances across fourteen exceptional venues will transform the UNESCO World Heritage town of Český Krumlov into a stage where music, history and architecture merge into a unique artistic experience.
Under the theme "Labyrinth of Stories", the festival brings together internationally acclaimed artists including Fatma Said, Danielle de Niese, Lukáš Vondráček, Pavel Černoch, Ester Pavlů and the Pavel Haas Quartet, alongside leading Czech and international ensembles.
A highlight of this year's programme is a Baroque opera performed in the unique Baroque Theatre of Český Krumlov, one of the world's best-preserved original Baroque theatres, featuring Collegium 1704 and Václav Luks, internationally recognised leaders in historically informed performance.
The opening production, A Thousand and OneNights / Shéhérazade, starring Fatma Said, combines music, theatre and contemporary circus and will be recorded by Mezzo and Czech Television. The festival also presents three world premieres, including two new works commissioned from Czech composerTomáš Kačo, reaffirming its commitment to shaping the future of classical music while celebrating its rich heritage.