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From 28 August to 6 September 2026, Köthen in Saxony-Anhalt once again turns to Johann Sebastian Bach for the Köthener Bachfesttage, held every two years in the town where the composer served as Kapellmeister to Prince Leopold from 1717 to 1723. It was an especially fertile period, during which some of his finest instrumental works were written.
The 2026 Bach Festival takes place in Köthen against a particular political backdrop: 6 September is election day in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, where the far-right AfD is leading in the polls. For this edition, artistic director Folkert Uhde has chosen to place the festival under the banner of community and dialogue: around forty concerts, encounters, installations and participatory projects will underline the idea that, in music as in civic life, “every voice counts”.
Among the guests, pianist Alexander Melnikov and cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras will appear alongside the Köthener BachCollektiv, notably with soprano Miriam Feuersinger. The festival will also involve local residents on a large scale with Sing Bach!, bringing together 200 schoolchildren from Köthen and professional musicians on stage.
Contemporary art will also spread through the town, from unused spaces in Schloss Köthen to the tower of St Jakob’s Church, with contributions including work by Korean video artist Hyunju Oh. Between historically informed performance, sound experiments and new formats, the Bachfesttage aim to present Bach’s legacy not as a static monument, but as the living heart of a town in celebration.
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