Kissinger Sommer 2027 – Classical Music Festival Germany

What to expect in 2027

Kissinger Sommer 2027 is expected to continue the festival’s established combination of large orchestral concerts, chamber music, solo recitals, vocal performances, opera and special cultural events. Instead of concentrating all performances in one festival area, the programme uses Bad Kissingen’s historic concert halls, theatres, churches, gardens and other cultural spaces.

The main focus is traditionally the symphonic programme. Major orchestras perform alongside internationally recognised conductors and soloists, while smaller venues provide a more intimate setting for chamber music and recitals.

The festival also has a broader cultural character. Recent editions have included musical theatre, opera, artist conversations, concert introductions, open-air concerts, late-night programmes, community performances and other special events. The 2026 edition featured 75 events across the festival programme.

Visitors attending in 2027 can therefore expect a programme that combines major concert-hall performances with smaller-scale musical experiences throughout Bad Kissingen.

Because the 2027 programme has not yet been published, specific artists and performances should not be considered confirmed until they appear on the official festival programme.

Event dates

Kissinger Sommer 2027 will take place from June 17 to July 18, 2027.

The festival will run for approximately one month, making it possible to visit Bad Kissingen for a single concert, a weekend of performances or an extended classical music holiday.

The 2027 edition will be the 41st Kissinger Sommer. The official festival website currently confirms the dates and states that the programme will be announced in autumn.

Individual concert dates and starting times will be published as part of the detailed 2027 programme.

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Venue & festival site

Kissinger Sommer does not operate from one conventional festival field. Instead, the festival uses several concert halls, theatres, churches, historic buildings and outdoor locations throughout Bad Kissingen.

The most important venue is the Max-Littmann-Saal inside the Regentenbau.

Max-Littmann-Saal
Regentenbau
Ludwigstraße 2
97688 Bad Kissingen
Germany

The Max-Littmann-Saal is one of the defining concert venues of the festival. Its cherry-wood interior and large balcony contribute to its distinctive acoustic environment. The stalls can accommodate up to approximately 660 people, with more than 500 additional places in the balcony.

Other established festival venues include the Rossini-Saal, Kurtheater, Erlöserkirche, Herz-Jesu-Stadtpfarrkirche, Kurgarten-Café, Grand Hotel Kaiserhof Victoria and selected outdoor or regional locations.

The exact venue for each 2027 concert will be listed with the individual programme entry.

Full lineup

The full Kissinger Sommer 2027 lineup has not yet been announced.

The festival’s official website currently states that the programme for the 41st edition will be announced in autumn. This means that individual 2027 orchestras, conductors, soloists, ensembles and vocal artists cannot yet be confirmed.

The established Kissinger Sommer programme normally features several different types of performers:

• International symphony orchestras
• Chamber orchestras and ensembles
• Piano and instrumental soloists
• Opera and vocal performers
• Conductors
• Chamber music partnerships
• Recital artists
• Musical theatre performers
• Guest ensembles
• Artists involved in special festival and community projects

The 2027 programme is expected to provide the complete artist list once the official festival announcement is released.

Visitors planning their trip around a particular performer should use the official Kissinger Sommer programme rather than relying on artists from previous editions.

Headliners & featured artists

No 2027 headliners have been officially confirmed at the time of writing.

The scale of previous editions demonstrates the type of international performers associated with Kissinger Sommer. The 2026 programme included internationally recognised artists and conductors including Anne-Sophie Mutter, Igor Levit, Grigory Sokolov, Cecilia Bartoli, Lisa Batiashvili, Joana Mallwitz, Kent Nagano and Sir Simon Rattle. These artists appeared in the 2026 programme and are not confirmed for the 2027 edition.

The 2026 festival concluded with a three-day programme centred on Cecilia Bartoli, including performances of Baroque repertoire and Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice. The festival reported around 30,000 concert tickets sold and an attendance rate of almost 84 percent for the 2026 edition.

The 2027 headliners and featured artists will be known after the official programme announcement.

Stages & performance areas

Kissinger Sommer’s “stages” are primarily traditional concert and performance venues rather than temporary festival stages.

• Max-Littmann-Saal: The principal large concert hall and the main location for major symphonic performances.
• Rossini-Saal: A smaller hall particularly suited to chamber music and intimate concerts.
• Kurtheater: A historic theatre used for musical theatre and other staged performances.
• Regentenbau: The wider historic complex containing several performance and reception spaces.
• Erlöserkirche: A church venue used for selected concerts.
• Herz-Jesu-Stadtpfarrkirche: Another Bad Kissingen venue used for selected musical programmes.
• Kurgarten-Café: A venue associated with selected matinee and smaller-scale programmes.
• Grand Hotel Kaiserhof Victoria: Used for selected intimate or daytime performances.
• Outdoor locations: Selected festival concerts and community programmes may take place outdoors.
• Regional venues: The festival can also travel beyond central Bad Kissingen to locations such as Maria Bildhausen, Schloss Aschach and Staatsbad Brückenau.

The exact 2027 venue programme will be confirmed when the festival publishes its schedule.

Stage-by-stage schedule

A complete stage-by-stage schedule for 2027 is not available yet because the festival programme has not been released.

Unlike a multi-stage rock or electronic music festival, Kissinger Sommer generally schedules individual concerts across different venues. This means visitors normally select a specific performance and venue rather than moving between simultaneously operating stages.

The Max-Littmann-Saal is expected to remain the main venue for large orchestral concerts. Chamber music and smaller performances can take place at the Rossini-Saal and other intimate venues, while theatre, vocal and special productions may use the Kurtheater or other appropriate locations.

The 2027 schedule should include the exact date, start time, venue, performers, conductor and programme for every concert.

Set times

Exact 2027 set times have not yet been announced.

Previous Kissinger Sommer programmes have frequently scheduled major evening concerts around 7:30 PM, while daytime programmes and matinees can begin earlier. The 2026 programme, for example, included numerous evening concerts at 7:30 PM.

Visitors should check the individual concert listing because there is no single festival-wide start time.

The festival’s general visitor information states that foyers and refreshment areas normally open around 60 minutes before a performance, while the concert hall itself generally opens around 30 minutes before the concert.

Ticket types

Kissinger Sommer offers individual concert tickets and concert packages covering several performances.

The final 2027 ticket prices have not yet been announced. For planning purposes, the published 2026 prices can be used as a previous-edition guide.

Examples from the 2026 programme included individual concerts with multiple seating categories. Prices varied according to the concert and seating section.

The festival also offered weekend packages combining three or four concerts. These packages can be useful for visitors who want to attend several performances during one stay.

Previous 2026 package prices included:

• A2 four-concert package: approximately $458, $437, $408, $371 and $224 by seating category.
• B1 three-concert package: approximately $332, $311, $290, $252 and $145.
• B2 four-concert package: approximately $392, $370, $341, $304 and $186.
• C1 three-concert package: approximately $312, $290, $269, $231 and $136.
• D1 three-concert package: approximately $317, $295, $273, $236 and $138.
• E1 three-concert package: approximately $383, $344, $309, $284 and $176.
• E2 four-concert package: approximately $487, $442, $400, $362 and $222.
• F three-concert package: approximately $456, $434, $414, $376 and $208.

These figures are converted from the festival’s published 2026 prices using an approximate EUR/USD rate of $1.15 per €1. The exchange rate can change, and these are previous-edition guide prices rather than confirmed 2027 prices.

VIP & premium options

Kissinger Sommer does not primarily operate with conventional VIP passes or backstage-style festival packages.

The premium experience is instead based around the best seating categories, major performances and multi-concert packages. Visitors who want a more extensive festival experience can select a package covering several concerts during one festival weekend.

The 2026 package system offered three- and four-concert combinations and was structured around specific festival weekends. The festival’s package system can therefore be more useful to classical music visitors than a traditional VIP wristband.

The final 2027 package structure and prices will be confirmed when ticket sales open.

The festival currently states that its 2026/27 ticket and package sales information is being prepared, with the main ticket and package booking period scheduled to begin from November 17, 2026.

Event rules

Kissinger Sommer operates primarily as a seated classical music festival, so visitors should follow the rules associated with concert-hall performances.

The festival’s general conditions state that programme and cast changes can occur. Such changes do not normally provide a right to return tickets; refunds are generally associated with the complete cancellation of an event.

Visitors should arrive early enough to pass through the entrance and take their seats before the performance begins. Foyers generally open around one hour before the concert and the concert halls around 30 minutes before the start.

Late admission may be restricted until a suitable point in the performance.

Photography, filming and sound recording should follow the instructions given by the venue and festival staff. Visitors should keep mobile phones silent and avoid actions that could disturb performers or other audience members.

Specific rules may vary between indoor concerts and outdoor performances, so visitors should check the individual event information before attending.

How to get there

Bad Kissingen is located in Lower Franconia in central Germany and can be reached by car, train, bus and air connections.

By car, visitors can reach Bad Kissingen via the A7 motorway between Würzburg and Kassel, the A71 between Erfurt and Schweinfurt, or the A70 between Bayreuth and Schweinfurt. From the relevant motorway exits, the drive to Bad Kissingen takes approximately 10 minutes.

By train, visitors can travel via the major railway stations at Würzburg or Fulda and continue by regional train connections via Schweinfurt or Gemünden to Bad Kissingen.

By air, Frankfurt Airport and Nuremberg Airport are practical international gateways. The festival’s travel information estimates approximately 90 minutes by road from either airport to Bad Kissingen.

Bad Kissingen also has a local airfield in the Au area for suitable private aviation arrangements.

Public transport & parking

Public transport within Bad Kissingen can be used to reach the festival’s different venues. City bus services connect the main areas of the town, including locations around the concert venues.

Kissinger Sommer also operates a festival shuttle service for selected evening concerts. Previous arrangements have provided Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening services between Fulda and Bad Kissingen and between Würzburg and Bad Kissingen. The 2026 published fare was approximately $12 one way or $21 return when converted from the stated prices.

The exact 2027 shuttle timetable and fares should be checked when the 2027 concert programme becomes available.

Parking is available around central Bad Kissingen and the Regentenbau. The festival currently lists parking close to the city centre and Regentenbau at approximately $1.15 per day based on its published €1 daily rate. Additional free parking areas are located around 10 to 15 minutes on foot from the city centre.

Visitors staying at local hotels may also find private guest parking available.

Accommodation areas

The central Bad Kissingen area is the most convenient place to stay for visitors attending Kissinger Sommer.

Hotels around the Kurgarten and Regentenbau provide particularly convenient access to the Max-Littmann-Saal, Rossini-Saal and surrounding festival venues. Staying centrally also makes it easier to reach restaurants, cafés, shops, parks and the historic spa district on foot.

The area around the railway station is another practical option for visitors travelling by train or planning day trips to other towns.

Bad Kissingen is a historic spa destination, so accommodation options include traditional hotels, guesthouses and wellness-oriented properties. Visitors attending several concerts can combine their festival trip with the town’s spa facilities, parks and historic architecture.

For popular festival weekends, accommodation should ideally be booked after the 2027 programme is announced, particularly if the trip is planned around a major orchestra, soloist or special production.

Food & drink

Kissinger Sommer is integrated into Bad Kissingen rather than operating as a large fenced festival site with a central food court.

Visitors can therefore use the restaurants, cafés, hotels and hospitality venues around the town centre before and after concerts.

The Kurgarten and surrounding central district provide convenient places for meals and refreshments between performances. Visitors attending afternoon and evening concerts can also plan a meal between programmes.

The festival’s venues may provide refreshments before selected concerts and during breaks. Previous editions have also featured special social programmes such as after-concert events.

The 2026 festival included an After-Concert-Lounge at the Arkadenbau – Schmuckhof on selected evenings, demonstrating how the festival combines classical performances with informal social spaces.

Accessibility

Kissinger Sommer provides dedicated accessibility information for visitors with reduced mobility.

The festival states that its venues are generally barrier-free, with the exception of the balconies at the Max-Littmann-Saal and Kurtheater. The sanitary facilities are also generally accessible. Designated parking spaces are available for eligible visitors, and taxis can access the concert venues without barriers.

Visitors requiring wheelchair seating should contact the festival ticket office in advance at +49 971 8048-444 or speak with staff at the Tourist Information in the Arkadenbau.

There are no wheelchair-accessible balcony seats in the Max-Littmann-Saal or Kurtheater because these areas do not have an elevator. Visitors using wheelchairs or walking aids are therefore advised to arrange appropriate stalls seating in advance.

Festival hosts can also assist visitors who need help moving from the building entrance toward the concert hall.

Best days to attend

The best dates depend on the type of programme visitors want to experience.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday are useful choices for visitors who want to experience major evening concerts because the festival traditionally schedules important performances across these days.

Weekend visits can also make sense for travellers coming from Würzburg, Fulda or other German cities because the festival provides shuttle services for selected Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening concerts.

Visitors interested in chamber music, recitals and daytime programmes should also consider weekdays. Kissinger Sommer’s multi-week structure means that different styles of performances are distributed throughout the festival rather than concentrated into one weekend.

For visitors wanting several concerts during one trip, a full festival weekend is particularly practical because previous editions have offered concert packages covering three or four performances.

Previous year’s highlights

The 2026 Kissinger Sommer marked the festival’s 40th anniversary and was presented under the theme “Mazel Tov.”

The 2026 edition featured 75 events and finished with an attendance rate of almost 84 percent. According to the festival, around 30,000 concert tickets were sold, while more than 5,000 visitors attended free events.

Major performances during the 2026 festival included the Budapest Festival Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic, WDR Symphony Orchestra, Bamberger Symphoniker, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Konzerthausorchester Berlin and Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks.

The festival also featured major soloists and conductors, including Anne-Sophie Mutter, Igor Levit, Grigory Sokolov, Cecilia Bartoli, Lisa Batiashvili, Joana Mallwitz, Kent Nagano and Sir Simon Rattle.

One of the final highlights was Cecilia Bartoli’s three-day programme, culminating in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice at the Max-Littmann-Saal.

The 2026 edition also demonstrated the festival’s broader cultural range through chamber concerts, open-air performances, community music projects and free events.

Official tickets

Official Kissinger Sommer tickets should be purchased through the festival’s official ticketing channels once the 2027 programme is released.

Tickets can be booked through the official website, by telephone and through the Tourist Information at the Arkadenbau in Bad Kissingen. During the festival, the concert box office normally opens one hour before the relevant performance.

Official website: https://www.kissingersommer.de/

Ticket hotline: +49 971 8048444

Email: info@kissingersommer.de

Ticket location: Tourist Information, Arkadenbau, directly at the Kurgarten, 97688 Bad Kissingen

The festival has confirmed that the 2027 programme will be announced in autumn. The official website should therefore be used for the final lineup, concert schedule, seating plans, ticket categories, package options and booking dates.