Festival sets New Visitor Record with over 16,500 Guests

The Göttingen International Händel Festival has once again achieved a record number of visitors. More than 16,500 guests attended the Festival’s 96 events this year – 1,500 more than in 2025. Ticket sales revenue also significantly exceeded expectations. “Early on, it was clear that Göttingen was eagerly anticipating this year’s program. This year, festival fever gripped the entire city – with the best attendance figures in ten years as the almost inevitable result,” said Managing Director Jochen Schäfsmeier.

This year’s Festival took place from May 14 to 25. Over the twelve festival days around Ascension Day and Pentecost, approximately 550 artists performed in Göttingen and the surrounding region under the motto ENTICEMENT.

The Festival Opera Deidamia, staged by the Festival’s Artistic Director George Petrou, who also conducted the FestspielOrchester Göttingen, achieved 95% capacity attendance and was seen by almost 2,300 guests. Three of the five performances at the Deutsches Theater were completely sold out. The two performances of The Soldier’s Tale, a co-production of the Festival with the Deutsches Theater and the Göttingen Symphony Orchestra, were likewise sold out.

At this year’s Opening Gala, the FestspielOrchester Göttingen celebrated its 20th anniversary. The ensemble, made up of leading specialists in historically informed performance practice from around the world, was enthusiastically acclaimed. One critic described its exceptional artistry as “difficult to put into words: with a light, buoyant, and sensual sound, yet transparent, powerful, and delicate (…) Entire worlds unfolded even in the smallest notes, and the phrasing possessed a depth and precision rarely heard”.

As always, one of Handel’s oratorios was also featured on the program – this time arguably the best known, Messiah. In the nearly sold-out Stadthalle, audiences experienced what the Göttinger Tageblatt described as “a musical triumph: George Petrou, the NDR Vocal Ensemble, and the FestspielOrchester delivered a gripping, transparent, and deeply moving performance”. Messiah had already been performed the evening before at the Musik- und Kongresshalle in Lübeck, where it was likewise enthusiastically received. “What audiences heard exceeded even the highest expectations. It was captivating, exhilarating, moving to tears, and deeply uplifting – sometimes all at once”, wrote HL-live.

Around 700 more tickets were sold for concerts at the Stadthalle and the University Aula than in 2025. The numerous free events were also particularly well received: the Lunch Concerts attracted nearly 1,000 guests. The Rolling George reached almost 1,800 people in Göttingen and the regional venues – 300 more than last year. Events for children and families, such as the Children’s Day at St. Johannis Church, were also very popular. The family version of the Festival Opera Deidamia at the Deutsches Theater was once again sold out.

Schäfsmeier also expressed particular satisfaction with the growing enthusiasm for the Festival in the surrounding region. Attendance at the seven regional concerts increased by 23%. Capacity reached 94% in Osterode am Harz, 89% in Einbeck, and 77% in Hann. Münden. Schäfsmeier was also pleased

with audience numbers in Duderstadt, Landolfshausen, Osterode, and Friedland, highlighting the excellent cooperation with local partners and the support of the district administration.

Once again, Göttingen became a destination for large numbers of Baroque music enthusiasts from Germany and abroad during the Festival. Numerous cultural journalists also traveled to Göttingen, including representatives from Italy, Poland, Greece, the United Kingdom, the United States, and France. The Festival Opera Deidamia received outstanding reviews throughout the specialist press. “Émouvant, intelligent et jubilatoire!” (“Moving, intelligent, and exhilarating!”) was the headline of the French publication Forum Opéra. The English-language journal The Opera Critic particularly praised the musical performances: “The singing throughout is exemplary, both technically and in tone. (...) FOG plays with their characteristic lightness, delicacy and bounce.”

On Friday, September 4, a recording of the Festival Opera Deidamia will be shown as an open-air screening at the Brauweg outdoor swimming pool. In addition, selected content will be made available free of charge on the Handel Channel at https://www.haendel-channel.de/de/.

The recording of this year’s Prizewinners’ Concert of the göttingen händel competition will be broadcast on NDR television on Sunday, June 28, 2026, at 8 am, and can already be heard on NDR Kultur radio from Sunday, June 14, 2026, at 9:30 pm. On Sunday, June 28, 2026, at 9:30 pm, NDR Kultur will also broadcast the recording of The Soldier’s Tale.

The premiere of the Festival Opera was broadcast live on NDR Kultur; the recording remains available in the media library.

The recording of the Gala Concert celebrating the 20th anniversary of the FestspielOrchester was broadcast on NDR Kultur on Pentecost Sunday and also remains available in the media library.

The next Göttingen International Handel Festival will take place from May 6 to 17, 2027. Public advance ticket sales for selected events begin on November 27, 2026