Allegro Vivo Festival, Horn, Austria 2026: Chamber Music Dates & Tickets

Welcome to the Allegro Vivo Festival 2026 in Horn

The 48th Allegro Vivo Festival turns Horn and the Waldviertel into a chamber-music stage from 7 August to 20 September 2026. Under the theme “On Stage”, 55 concerts take place at 28 historic venues – abbeys, palaces, castles and churches around Horn. Artistic director is Vahid Khadem-Missagh; the festival office is at Wiener Straße 2, 3580 Horn, Austria.

Highlights & Attractions at Allegro Vivo Festival in Horn

• 55 concerts at 28 venues in abbeys, palaces and castles across the Waldviertel
• Opening with Respighi’s “Antiche Danze ed Arie”, Tchaikovsky’s “Souvenir de Florence” and the world premiere of a double concerto by Tristan Schulze
• Chamber music in the baroque library of Altenburg Abbey, with guests such as Elisabeth Leonskaja
• Free Moonlight Serenade at Horn town lake (11 and 25 August 2026)
• International summer academy with around 500 to 600 young musicians from around the world
• Gala concert by Academia Allegro Vivo at Kunsthaus Horn with Italian repertoire
• Closing weekend with Mozart and Mendelssohn’s “Italian” Symphony at Weitra Palace, Göttweig Abbey and Altenburg Abbey

Program & Schedule: What to Expect in 2026

The festival opens on 7 August 2026 at 19:00 in the Herz-Jesu Church in Gmünd and continues on 8 and 9 August in the library of Altenburg Abbey. The “Cycle of Encounters” links musical traditions from Italy, the Balkans and Austria. The programme includes chamber music, orchestral works, crossovers between classical, jazz and Balkan music, and academy concerts. Further highlights include Benjamin Schmid with Paganini in Gars-Thunau, ensemble Uwaga! at Kunsthaus Horn, Roland Batik at Schickenhof and the Kandinsky Quartet in Oberdürnbach. The summer academy runs from 8 August to 5 September 2026. The finale takes place on 17 September at Weitra Palace, on 18 September at Göttweig Abbey, and on 19 and 20 September 2026 at 16:00 at Altenburg Abbey – with Arvo Pärt, Mozart’s Violin Concerto in A major and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4. Concerts usually start at 16:00, 19:00 or 19:30; the Moonlight Serenade begins at 21:00. The full programme is published on the official website.

Tickets & Admission for Allegro Vivo Festival Horn

Tickets are sold per concert via the official shop at allegro-vivo.at, by phone on +43 2982 4319 or by email to [email protected]. The Moonlight Serenade at Horn town lake is free of charge. Children aged 0 to 6 enter free; children aged 6 to 15 pay 7 euros when accompanied by their parents. Summer academy participants pay 9 euros per ticket. Discounts include 10 percent for seniors and Club Ö1 members and 20 percent for Presse-Club members. Culture trips including a Category 1 concert ticket, travel and a guided visit cost around 85.50 to 95 euros. Other concert prices vary by venue and category and are listed in the ticket shop for each event; there is no single festival-wide admission fee. Dates for the 2027 edition had not been announced at the time of research.

Visitor Tips: Travel & Accommodation in Horn

• Getting there: Horn is about 80 kilometres northwest of Vienna. Travel by train on the Franz-Josefs-Bahn (with a change depending on the connection) or by car on the B4. Check parking at abbeys and palaces, as access is often limited.
• What to wear: Churches and abbey libraries can be cool in the evening – smart-casual plus a jacket. For the Moonlight Serenade by the lake, bring sturdy shoes and an extra layer; in rain the venue moves to Campus Horn.
• Book accommodation in Horn, Altenburg, Geras or Zwettl early, especially for opening and closing weekends. The festival office at Kunsthaus Horn (Wiener Straße 2) can help with tickets and venues.
• Combine several concerts: academy matinées in Horn, chamber music at Altenburg Abbey and trips to Greillenstein Palace, Zwettl Abbey or Rosenburg Castle work well as a weekend itinerary.
• Many Altenburg Abbey concerts include a guided tour and an introduction – arrive in good time. Always check the latest programme and remaining tickets at www.allegro-vivo.at.