At Copenhagen’s Baroktoberfest, the Baroque takes to the dance floor

Baroque, certainly, but without too much ceremony: on 23 and 24 October, Camerata Øresund transforms Copenhagen’s KoncertKirken into a lively musical tavern with its Baroktoberfest, a playful take on Bavaria’s Oktoberfest.

Four concerts over two days, a shared meal, folk music and, to finish, bagpipes and dancing: Baroktoberfest champions a different way of bringing musicians and audiences together. The 2026 edition looks firmly northwards. The journey begins with old Icelandic folk melodies and the vocal ensemble Cantoque, before bringing Purcell, Roman, Geist, Campra and Handel into dialogue, with a nod to the famous Düben Collection preserved in Sweden.

On Saturday, English Baroque music unfolds in all its melancholy and majesty before a final concert in which the boundaries between art music and folk traditions begin to dissolve. Alongside Camerata Øresund are, among others, the Swedish ensemble Höör Barock and Belgian bagpiper Marieke Van Ransbeeck. All this takes place in the former church in Nørrebro, over a drink or a shared dinner: in Copenhagen, early music also sets out to be a thoroughly contemporary celebration.

Official website: https://camerataoresund.com/baroktoberfest/