Each June, Leipzig — the city where Johann Sebastian Bach lived, composed, and reshaped music history — opens its doors to the world. The 2025 edition of Bachfest Leipzig, held under the theme “Transformation,” features more than 200 events and over 2,000 individual performances across 32 venues in the city.
For eleven days, Leipzig becomes the epicenter of Bach’s legacy, hosting musicians, scholars, and audiences from around the globe in a celebration that bridges centuries of musical tradition and innovation.
A virtual Bach in the Bach Museum
One of the most talked-about features of this year’s festival is a groundbreaking installation at the Bach Museum Leipzig. Titled J. S. Bach live in concert,” the project uses augmented reality to bring the composer into the present. Equipped with AR glasses, visitors enter the Sommer Saal and encounter a 3D animated Bach, modeled from the iconic 1748 portrait, who speaks and plays the organ in a historically reconstructed space. This unique experience offers a new way to connect with Bach’s music and persona — merging baroque presence with 21st-century technology.
Concerts and artists in Bach’s city
The festival opens in the Thomaskirche with the Thomanerchor Leipzig and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, conducted by Andreas Reize, in a program featuring works by Bach and Liszt. Performances continue throughout the city with renowned artists and ensembles including:
– Sir András Schiff, returning to Leipzig with a solo recital
– Solomon’s Knot, presenting a program of cantatas for the Feast of St Michael
– Jean Rondeau, offering a solo harpsichord performance
– The Constellation Orchestra & Choir, conducted by John Eliot Gardiner, performing a selection of sacred works
– Outstanding young soloists from international Bach competitions
In addition to the concerts, the “Über Bach” lecture series features leading thinkers — including Nobel laureates — reflecting on Bach’s legacy across disciplines like theology, literature, and philosophy. The festival also renews its environmental commitment through the Bach Forest reforestation project and the Climate Pass initiative.
A grand conclusion
The closing concert brings the festival full circle with Ton Koopman leading the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir in a performance of Bach’s Mass in B minor at the Thomaskirche. It’s a powerful finale for a festival that celebrates not only the past, but how Bach’s music continues to transform and inspire.
📍 Full programme and tickets: bachfestleipzig.de
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