11 May Hukvaldy Will Come Alive with Music: The Leoš Janáček Festival Invites Audiences to a Grand Finale and a New Stage at Hukvaldy Court

Hukvaldy will once again become one of the key centres of the Leoš Janáček International Music Festival. The programme of the 76th edition will bring two exceptional open-air evenings to the birthplace of the renowned composer: a concert by Thom Artway with the Police Symphony Orchestra, and a monumental performance of Carmina Burana. This year, visitors can also look forward to a series of events in the sensitively restored grounds of Hukvaldy Court, which will join the festival for the first time as a distinctive cultural venue.

The festival will take place from 1 June to 3 July 2026 and, in addition to Ostrava, will visit other towns and cities across the Moravian-Silesian Region. “Hukvaldy is a place where Janáček’s legacy naturally meets the present day. It is very important to us that classical music returns here both in its authentic form and in new contexts. That is why, alongside chamber concerts, we are also presenting large-scale open-air projects, including Carl Orff’s cantata Carmina Burana, whose monumental forces and captivating musical energy are exceptionally well suited to the open-air atmosphere of the Hukvaldy amphitheatre,” said festival director Jan Žemla.

A Festival Weekend in Hukvaldy

On the weekend of 27 and 28 June, Hukvaldy will be transformed into a vibrant musical hub. On Saturday, visitors can join a guided walk through Janáček’s house and the Hukvaldy Game Reserve with musicologist Jiří Zahrádka, offering insight into the composer’s life and his relationship with the local landscape. This will be followed by the concert Janáček at Hukvaldy Castle, performed by Ensemble Opera Diversa and set directly against the historic backdrop of the castle.

Saturday evening in the amphitheatre will offer one of the festival’s major highlights: an energetic performance by the Police Symphony Orchestra with singer Thom Artway. The orchestra, known for its genre-crossing approach and ability to appeal to a broad audience, will combine symphonic sound with pop, rock and film music, and will also present orchestral arrangements of Artway’s songs.

Sunday’s programme at Hukvaldy Court will introduce outstanding young performers in the concert Tones of the Masters, offering a varied musical journey from Bach to the present day, including a new work inspired by The Cunning Little Vixen.

The entire Hukvaldy weekend will culminate on Sunday, 28 June, in the amphitheatre with an open-air performance of Carl Orff’s cantata Carmina Burana. One of the most powerful compositions of the 20th century, the work will be performed by the Hradec Králové Philharmonic, soloists and choirs under the baton of conductor Kaspar Zehnder.

Hukvaldy Court as a New Festival Venue

A new feature of this year’s edition is the involvement of Hukvaldy Court, a historic complex in the centre of the village that has undergone a sensitive restoration. Originally a working estate with more than two centuries of history, the complex is gradually being transformed into a cultural and community centre, and the festival will present it for the first time as a fully fledged venue.

“By restoring Hukvaldy Court, we wanted to bring life back to a place that had been a natural part of the village for centuries. We are delighted that the Leoš Janáček Festival is becoming one of the first partners to fully activate this space and give it a new cultural dimension,” said Hukvaldy mayor Luděk Bujnošek.

The programme at Hukvaldy Court will open on 7 June with the private view of an exhibition by sculptor Tereza Štětinová, followed by the concert Janáček & Dvořák in Hukvaldy. Performed by young laureates, the programme will feature two major string quartets connected not only by musical genius, but also by the personal friendship between the two composers.

The festival programme in Hukvaldy will conclude on 3 July with the intimate Festival Epilogue at Hukvaldy Court. Soprano Alžběta Poláčková and pianist Martin Levický will present a programme of works by Janáček, Kaprálová and Martinů, symbolically bringing this year’s festival to a close. Before the concert, visitors will be able to join a guided tour of the complex with the architects behind its restoration. For several weeks, Hukvaldy will thus become one of the region’s most vibrant musical destinations.