From April 8 to 11, 2026, Budapest will once again become an international meeting place for those who not only want to discuss the future of contemporary music, but also actively shape it. Classical:NEXT returns—as a showcase festival, think tank, and marketplace for ideas, where aesthetic curiosity, technological innovation, and social relevance meet on equal terms.
The showcase festival brings together artists and ensembles from all over the world who push boundaries and challenge listening habits. In short, dense concert formats – from daytime and evening showcases to club formats and performances as part of the Innovation Awards – a panorama of current trends in contemporary music opens up. Hardly any other festival offers the opportunity to get to know so many artistic positions, production methods, and visions within a few days – and to engage in direct conversation.
In 2026, special attention will be paid to project pitches and showcase performances that take the step from pure reception to active audience participation. Technology, space, and narrative are being reimagined, with cultural identity, social responsibility, and diversity taking center stage. The selected projects impressively demonstrate that these impulses do not remain abstract – including three productions with Austrian participation that highlight the diversity and international networking of the domestic scene.
Showcases
With “Narcomancy,” Nimikry presents a work at the intersection of artistic research and high-end technology. Virtuoso instrumental art meets digital innovation—an open system that transforms, reacts, and opens up new sonic spaces.
With “Reflective Hold”, the duo Golnar Shahyar & Atena Eshtiaghi opens up an intimate space of resonance between Iranian art song tradition, poetry, and contemporary expression – a fragile yet powerful musical gesture of resistance and hope.
Finally, with “LIMBO Sonata” by Chloé Charody Creations, acrobatics, violin, and composition merge into a radically interdisciplinary form of circus opera that reimagines body, sound, and dramaturgy.
Classical:NEXT 2026 is thus much more than a festival: it is an excellent opportunity to present oneself internationally, to network, and to become part of a discourse that understands art music as a living, socially effective practice. In April, Budapest will become a resonance chamber for what is to come.
FellowsHIP Programme
The Classical:NEXT Fellowship Programme brings together outstanding early-career talents with Classical:NEXT ‘Insiders’, to facilitate their engagement with the Classical:NEXT community onsite. Each Fellow is paired with a seasoned professional at Classical:NEXT, receiving invaluable advice and introductions to important contacts both within their field and in the broader Classical:NEXT community. This unique mentorship builds lasting connections, helping the next generation to shape the future of classical and art music.
We are happy to announce that this year, three Austrians have been chosen for the programme!