The Leoš Janáček International Music Festival is one of the oldest and most prestigious classical music festivals in the Czech Republic. Since 1950, it has been cultivating Janáček’s legacy and has become one of the key artistic and social events of the city of Ostrava and the Moravian-Silesian Region. Festival concerts traditionally feature leading Czech and international performers as well as top symphony orchestras.

The festival programme consistently presents major works of Czech and world music from the 17th century to the present day. It regularly showcases the music of Leoš Janáček and his contemporaries, gives space to premieres of new works, and highlights compositions by regional composers.

Hukvaldy, the birthplace of Leoš Janáček, is without doubt one of the festival’s most important venues. In addition to Ostrava and Hukvaldy, concerts take place in Opava, Frýdek-Místek, Nový Jičín, Příbor, and other towns. We make use of both traditional concert halls and outdoor or newly renovated locations – the festival lives throughout the entire region.

The festival is not just a series of concerts. We develop accompanying and educational programmes, including masterclasses with leading performers, family-oriented and interactive projects, competitive platforms for young talents, and cross-border collaborations. We open music to long-standing subscribers, students, and first-time visitors alike.

From the 2026 edition onwards, the festival will be held under the baton of the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava. We preserve tradition and quality while adding a new signature – a modern visual identity and an open approach to audiences.

The 76th edition of the festival presents Leoš Janáček as our contemporary: a confident, distinctive composer with perspective, unafraid to be different. “Janáček was a bold visionary for his time. We asked ourselves: what would he look like if he were alive today? With the help of modern technologies, we have brought him to life and allowed him to speak to audiences through a striking visual concept. Janáček becomes a symbol of playfulness, modern energy, and transformation – ‘metamorphosis’ – which is also the central theme of the 72nd season of the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava,” said Jan Žemla, Director of the Leoš Janáček International Music Festival and the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava.

Our long-term vision is a musical alliance for Ostrava – connecting the festival, the Janáček Philharmonic, and the future concert hall into a single living organism. We aim to strengthen international prestige, broaden access to top-level music, and naturally link the city’s creative energy with the legacy of Leoš Janáček.