Misteria Paschalia Festival 2026

The upcoming 23rd Misteria Paschalia Festival presents eight days of intimate encounters with music of the Renaissance and Baroque.Between 29 March and 5 April 2026, Kraków resounds with works by Bach and Handel, jewels of Italian and French musical heritage, and some rarely performed, fascinating compositions from the colonial period of the of the city of La Plata (present day Sucre in Bolivia).The programme, showcasing the extensive repertoire naturally reflecting the period of Holy Week and Easter, has been prepared by Vincent Dumestre, expert in early music, and interpreted by leading European ensembles.The Misteria Paschalia Festival brings to Kraków acclaimed artists performing early music and specialising in historically-informed performance. The forthcoming event, held in March and April 2026, features ensembles from France, Belgium, Italy, Czechia and Poland, such as Le Poème Harmonique, Le Concert de la Love, Ensemble Alkymia, Vox Luminis, Collegium Vocale 1704 and the Wrocław Baroque Orchestra.The French instrumentalist, conductor and the festival’s artistic director Vincent Dumestre explains, “Misteria Paschalia 2026 takes us on a journey from the north to the south, letting the listeners explore and compare highly distinct styles from the same period: the depth, solemnity and elaborate counterpoint of the German repertoire (Bach, Buxtehude) juxtaposed with the sheer brilliance and exuberance of music from Latin America and works by composers from southern Europe. And what a journey it will be: from Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu nostri opening the festival to Bolivian music celebrating the Virgin Mary on Holy Saturday!”Misteria Paschalia is also the perfect opportunity to experience early music in its natural context: in sacral spaces and in some of Kraków’s finest concert halls. The programme features works exploring the human aspect of the mystery of Holy Week and Easter, as well as allowing us to reflect on the sacred, starting with Johann Sebastian Bach’s