The Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival
The SHMF was founded in 1986. Despite its name, the festival brings music to locations beyond Germany’s northernmost state. For example, audiences in Hamburg and even parts of Denmark and Lower Saxony won’t have to travel far for performances. With its many concerts in a wide variety of venues, it is one of the festivals that covers the largest area in the world! While it primarily has attracted lovers of classical music, fans of other genres such as pop, electronic and jazz will also find a diverse range of concerts, readings and lectures to their liking.
Unique concert venues
Magnificent manor houses, sophisticated estates, historic stables, old churches, romantic parks and decommissioned shipyards – unique venues are the hallmark of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. They provide a unique atmosphere and varying sound experiences to audiences of any genre. The acoustics are always a new challenge for the organisers and musicians of the festival - after all, music sounds completely different in a barn than in an official concert hall!
SHMF 2024
The Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival celebrates its 40th edition in 2025 – and marks the milestone with a diverse and ambitious program. From 5 July to 31 August, 203 concerts, five ‘Music Festivals in the Countryside’, two Children’s Music Festivals and the Shipyard Summer will take place across 71 locations in Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Denmark and Lower Saxony.
This year’s thematic focus is Istanbul – a city shaped by centuries of cultural exchange. More than 60 concerts will explore its musical legacy, from Byzantine hymns and Ottoman Janissary sounds to contemporary voices like Fazıl Say, who also serves as the festival’s portrait artist.
The 2025 lineup includes celebrated soloists such as Lang Lang, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Grigory Sokolov, Midori, and Sol Gabetta, alongside orchestras like the NDR Elbphilharmonie, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. A range of crossover and global acts – including Sting, Die Fantastischen Vier and Kurdish singer Aynur – bring further variety to the programme.
This anniversary year also honors longtime festival collaborator Christoph Eschenbach, who turns 85 in 2025, with a dedicated concert series. Additional highlights include family programming, masterclasses, the Werftsommer at Lübeck’s Kulturwerft Gollan, and awards such as the Leonard Bernstein Award and the Hindemith Prize.
Dates
5 July – 31 August 2025
More information
For more information, including tickets and a full line up, visit the .
