Event Details
Welcome to the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music 2026
From 24 July to 30 August 2026, Innsbruck once again becomes a hub for music from the Renaissance, Baroque and early Classical periods. This year the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music celebrates its 50th anniversary (founded in 1976); the anniversary program brings opera, chamber concerts, open air concerts and workshop formats to around thirty historic venues in and around Innsbruck, including the Tiroler Landestheater, Ambras Castle and Innsbruck Cathedral (Dom zu St. Jakob).
Highlights
- 50th anniversary of the festival
- Rediscovery of Pietro Antonio Cesti's "Il pomo d'oro" (premiered in Vienna in 1668), reconstructed by Ottavio Dantone
- Performances under artistic director Eva Maria Sens and music director Ottavio Dantone
- Ambras Castle concerts in the historic setting of Ambras Castle
- 17th Cesti Competition for baroque singing, with preliminary rounds and a final concert
- Concerts by the ensemble Accademia Bizantina
- Around thirty historic venues in and around Innsbruck
Program
The centrepiece of the anniversary edition is the opera "Il pomo d'oro" by Pietro Antonio Cesti; the elaborate baroque work, whose music for two acts was long considered lost, has been newly reconstructed by Ottavio Dantone for the festival. The opera is performed on two consecutive evenings on several occasions (including 7 and 8, 11 and 12, and 15 and 16 August); each performance runs about four hours with one intermission, and an introductory talk takes place one hour before curtain. The program also includes the long running Ambras Castle concerts, chamber concerts at the Haus der Musik Innsbruck, lunchtime concerts, discussion formats and the Cesti Competition, in which young singers compete for prize money and engagements at renowned opera houses. Most evening events start between 7:30 and 8:30 PM; exact times vary by venue and format.
Tickets
Official advance sales opened in December; tickets are available through the webshop at altemusik.at, by phone and at the box office at the Haus der Musik Innsbruck. Prices range from around 10 euros for individual concert categories to over 370 euros for the best seats at "Il pomo d'oro". The Quintett package (five dates, some including the opera) and the Quartett package for the Ambras Castle concerts offer discounts of up to 25 percent; Welcome Card holders receive a 10 percent discount, and Circle of Friends members up to 30 percent.
Visitor Tips
- Book "Il pomo d'oro" tickets early, as the paired dates sell out quickly.
- Some workshop concerts and formats are free of charge; checking the full program pays off for budget conscious visitors.
- The Ambras Castle concerts take place outdoors; bring warm clothing in case of changeable mountain weather.
- Venues such as the Tiroler Landestheater and the Haus der Musik are easily reached on foot or by public transport within Innsbruck.
- Introductory talks one hour before each performance offer helpful context for these often rarely performed works.
