Festival Rhénan

Festival Rhénan: The Renaissance of a Great Musical Tradition

Strasbourg was a pioneer in the history of classical music festivals in France. As early as 1932, the city hosted the Festival International de Strasbourg, the country's first classical music festival, itself an heir to the Fêtes d'Alsace-Lorraine which celebrated music in the region as early as the 19th century. This exceptional tradition is reborn in 2026 with the Festival Rhénan, an ambitious project born from a citizen initiative.

A Citizen and Committed Birth

The Festival Rhénan is the result of the commitment of Strasbourg music lovers and musicians, all volunteers, brought together within the Association Festival Rhénan. Their conviction: classical music must not remain an art reserved for an elite. The festival is committed to practicing moderate prices, programming in accessible venues, and offering varied concert formats to attract a diverse audience, including listeners who have never set foot in a concert hall.

Rediscovering the Forgotten of Musical History

One of the founding ambitions of the Festival Rhénan is to showcase lesser-known, forgotten, or out-of-fashion composers, with particular attention paid to women composers whose works have been marginalized in classical programming for too long. This rediscovery approach is part of a broader movement to re-examine the Western musical canon.

First Edition: Summer 2026

The first edition of the Festival Rhénan will be held from June 25 to July 4, 2026 in Strasbourg. The Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg will participate in this inaugural edition, alongside renowned soloists such as pianist Adam Laloum. The full program will be unveiled in the spring of 2026.

The festival aims to gradually extend to the right bank of the Rhine, embodying in its very geography the Franco-German cultural dialogue and Strasbourg's European vocation.

A Festival Looking Towards the Future

Supported by institutional and private partners — Crédit Mutuel, Opéra National du Rhin, Strasbourg Métropole — the Festival Rhénan is projected as a major musical event on the national and international scene, faithful to Strasbourg's heritage of excellence while inventing a new model of classical festival: open, citizen-oriented, and committed.