The Leoš Janáček International Music Festival will bring a combination of the very best of classical music to the Moravian-Silesian Region in 2026. The festival, which will be presented for the first time under the production of the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, will feature performances of Janáček’s Sinfonietta and Orff’s cantata Carmina Burana, as well as a concert by the Police Symphony Orchestra together with Thom Artway.

The festival will return to iconic locations across the region — concerts will take place in Hukvaldy, Opava, Frýdek-Místek, Nový Jičín, and Příbor. A newly renovated venue, the Hukvaldy Courtyard, will join the festival as a new performance space. In its 76th edition, the Janáček Festival will offer a rich and diverse musical programme with renewed energy and a fresh visual identity. As in previous years, the festival will also include masterclasses, the Generation composers’ competition, and interactive programmes for children.

“Placing the festival under the baton of the Janáček Philharmonic is a strategic step that connects the festival’s tradition, our Ostrava orchestra, and in the future also the new concert hall. I believe this alliance will give Ostrava even greater artistic recognition within the European context,” says Jan Dohnal, Mayor of the Statutory City of Ostrava.

As of 1 September this year, the Director of the Leoš Janáček International Music Festival is also Jan Žemla, the current Director of the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava. Following his success in the selection procedure, he succeeded the previous director, Jaromír Javůrek, who stepped down from the position at his own request after more than thirty years.

“Continuing this tradition is an honour for us, a responsibility, and at the same time a great opportunity. We want to preserve the very best from previous years while bringing new energy, openness, and a modern face to the festival. It is a space where top-level music, the personality of Leoš Janáček, and local cultural audiences naturally come together. I believe that connecting the two brands will create a synergy that strengthens the international prestige of both the festival and the philharmonic, while rooting them even more firmly in the cultural life of local audiences,” explains Jan Žemla, Director of the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava and the Leoš Janáček International Music Festival.

A Colourful Dramaturgy

In 2026, the festival will welcome to Ostrava and the wider region outstanding artists and orchestras representing the most compelling voices of today’s European music scene. The opening concert will feature the Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK with one of the most remarkable cellists of his generation, Pablo Ferrández, under the baton of one of the Czech Republic’s leading conductors, Tomáš Netopil.

Another concert will present the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra with baritone Jan Martiník and soprano Sára Slováková. The Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice (NOSPR) will appear with Opava-born pianist Lukáš Vondráček, conducted by the internationally acclaimed Marin Alsop. A crossover concert by Thom Artway and the Police Symphony Orchestra will bring youthful energy to Hukvaldy.

The festival’s closing concert will traditionally take place at the Hukvaldy Amphitheatre, featuring Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana performed by the Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra, the Czech Academic Choir Brno, the Boni Pueri children’s choir, and soloists Alžběta Poláčková, Josef Moravec, and Filip Bandžak.

In the field of chamber music, Jerusalem Quartet — one of today’s most acclaimed string quartets — will perform at Ostrava’s Vesmír Theatre, presenting works by Joseph Haydn, Leoš Janáček, and Maurice Ravel. Conductor Tomáš Netopil will also appear in Opava’s former Church of St. Wenceslas, where he will lead the Silentium Ensemble in a programme reflecting Moravian Baroque heritage.

A Festival for Everyone

“The Leoš Janáček International Music Festival remains one of the key symbols of the cultural identity of Ostrava and the Moravian-Silesian Region,” said Lucie Baránková Vilamová, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Development and Culture. “The festival serves as a platform for meeting, education, and discovering music across generations, which is also reflected in its accompanying programmes, including those aimed at families with children and students.”

Young audiences can look forward to Filharmoniště with Janáček and Leoš’s Songs, programmes that present Janáček’s legacy in a playful way in Hukvaldy and at Ostrava’s Vesmír Theatre. The festival will also offer a concert excursion to the NOSPR in Katowice, strengthening cross-border cultural cooperation.

Traditional competition pillars — the international Generation composers’ competition and the Beethoven’s Hradec performance competition — continue to support young talents. Thanks to concerts in Ostrava, Opava, Frýdek-Místek, Nový Jičín, Příbor, Hukvaldy, and the newly renovated Hukvaldy Courtyard, the festival remains deeply connected to the entire region.

A New Visual Identity: Janáček Himself Invites You

A major novelty of the 76th edition of the Leoš Janáček International Music Festival is its new visual identity. While remaining faithful to tradition, the festival introduces a fresh and contemporary visual style. It 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? Using modern technologies, we brought him to life and allowed him to speak to audiences through a striking visual concept once again created by Kantor’s Creative Club. 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,”adds Jan Žemla, Director of the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava and the Leoš Janáček International Music Festival.

Leoš Janáček International Music Festival 2026

The Leoš Janáček International Music Festival will take place from 1 June to 3 July 2026. It will offer around thirty concerts and events for classical music lovers, families with children, students, and first-time visitors alike.

Tickets are available online, at the Janáček Point, and at regional ticket outlets.