The Birgit Nilsson Festival will return to the Bjäre Peninsula on Sweden’s southern west coast from 3 to 8 August 2026, bringing a week of concerts, recitals and educational activities dedicated to the legacy of the legendary Swedish soprano.
The highlight of the festival will be an open-air concert performance of Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer on 8 August at the Båstad Tennis Stadium, a venue known internationally for hosting major tennis tournaments. The performance will feature Christopher Maltman in the title role, alongside Elisabet Strid as Senta, Günther Groissböck as Daland, Stanislas de Barbeyrac as Erik, Katarina Dalayman as Mary and Tobias Westman as the Steersman.
The Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra will be conducted by Henrik Nánási, with a chorus made up of singers from the Skåne region.
The festival programme also includes a series of concerts and educational activities centred around the Birgit Nilsson Museum, located in the soprano’s childhood home. Visitors will be able to explore a new exhibition titled Making Waves, as well as attend talks, concerts and guided tours throughout the week.
Among the featured artists is Matthias Goerne, who will lead a four-day masterclass in lieder interpretation and give a recital with pianist Alexander Schmalcz at the Ravinen Cultural Centre on 5 August.
The festival will also welcome the Swedish soprano Matilda Sterby, recipient of the 2024 Birgit Nilsson Stipendium, for a recital titled Songs by the Sea on 6 August, featuring works by Schubert, Grieg, Sibelius and Gösta Nyström, with pianist Matti Hirvonen.
The 2026 Birgit Nilsson Stipendium will be presented to baritone Luthando Qave, who will perform a recital with pianist Magnus Svensson on 7 August in the church of Västra Karup, a venue closely associated with Nilsson’s own musical life.
Additional events include concerts at the museum featuring Swedish artists such as Malena Ernman and Rickard Söderberg, as well as family programming including The Little Dutchman, a shortened adaptation of Wagner’s opera created for young audiences.
Founded to celebrate the legacy of Birgit Nilsson, one of the most celebrated dramatic sopranos of the 20th century, the festival takes place near her birthplace on the Bjäre Peninsula overlooking the Kattegat, the stretch of water between Sweden and Denmark.
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