The 77th Festival de Musique takes place from 25th July to 7th August, 2026, an annual highlight of the Menton summer.
Perched above the Mediterranean on the parvis of the Basilica of Saint-Michel, the Festival de Musique de Menton is one of Europe’s most atmospheric classical music festivals.
Founded in 1950 by Hungarian artist André Böröcz, the festival has spent more than seven decades bringing world-renowned musicians to the French Riviera.
What sets Menton apart is not only its prestigious programme, but its setting: open-air concerts beneath the stars, framed by Baroque architecture and the sea beyond.
From celebrated soloists to emerging talent, the festival blends elegance, history and artistic ambition, transforming this sun-drenched Riviera town into a summer sanctuary for music lovers.
Courtesy Festival de Musique de Menton
2026 FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
FRIDAY 24th JULY – 21h00
ENSEMBLE SPARK
Esplanade des Sablettes
An evening entitled ‘From Bach to The Beatles‘, this pre-opening concert features Ensemble Spark and a selection of works from JS Bach, Christian Fritz, Sebastian Bartmann, and of course, John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Taking place on the Esplanade des Sablettes, admission is free and all are welcome.
SATURDAY 25th JULY – 21h00
GAUTIER CAPUÇON
Parvis de la Basilique Saint Michel Archange
Video via hr-Sinfonieorchester – Frankfurt Radio Symphony on YouTube
Cellist Gautier Capuçon performs with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice in this the opening concert of the 2026 festival. The conductor is Lionel Bringuier. On the programme, we have Camille Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33 and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major, Op. 60
SUNDAY 26th JULY – 18h00
DUO JATEKOK
Palais de l’Europe
The duo features pianists Adélaïde Panaget and Naïri Badal, who will be performing a selection of works by Mussorgsky, Saint-Saëns, Dukas and Liszt.
MONDAY 27th JULY – 18h00
CONCERT DES LAURÉATS DE LA FONDATION GAUTIER CAPUÇON
Palais de l’Europe
Two of the Lauréats of the foundation, Léo Ispir on cello and Luka Ispir on violin, perform works by Bach, Rameau, Mozart, Kodály, and Halvorsen.
TUESDAY 28th JULY – 21h00
NEÏMA NAOURI | PABLO CAMPOS | THE AMAZING KEYSTONE BIG BAND
Parvis de la Basilique Saint Michel Archange
Video via Opéra de Vichy on YouTube
Singers Neïma Naouri and Pablo Campos join The Amazing Keystone Big Band for an evening of George Gershwin. Expect to hear classics like Someone to Watch Over Me, Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off, and I Got Rhythm, amongst many other compositions.
WEDNESDAY 29th JULY – 21h00
NICOLAS ALTSTAEDT | ENSEMBLE JUPITER | THOMAS DUNFORD
Parvis de la Basilique Saint Michel Archange
An evening featuring the music of Antonio Vivaldi with Nicolas Altstaedt on cello, performing with the Ensemble Jupiter. Thomas Dunford will be conducting and also accompanying on lute. The programme includes, amongst other works, Ouverture de L’Olimpiade – Allegro, Sinfonia extraite de Ercole sul Termodonte – Allegro and Double concerto for cellos in A minor, RV 531.
THURSDAY 30th JULY – 18h00
CONCERT CONCERTOS
Palais de l’Europe
Young pianists selected from the most prestigious international piano competitions will tackle the concerto format. They will be accompanied by Juliette Journaux, who will play the orchestral parts. In partnership with Yamaha.
- Julie Haismann, piano – S. Rachmaninov : 2e concerto pour piano
- Martin Jaspard et Paul Lecocq, pianos – F. Poulenc : Concerto pour 2 pianos en ré mineur FP 61
FRIDAY 31st JULY – 18h00
FANNY AZZURO | POPAUL AMISI
Palais de l’Europe
Join Fanny Azzuro on piano and dancer Popaul Amisi for this concert, entitled Rhapsody : Jazz, Swing & Tango. Featuring selected works by George Gershwin, Nikolai Kapustin and Astor Piazzolla
SATURDAY, 1st AUGUST – 21h00
FAZIL SAY
Parvis de la Basilique Saint Michel Archange
Video via hr-Sinfonieorchester – Frankfurt Radio Symphony on YouTube
A piano recital with Fazil Say, who will be performing Johann Sebastian Bach’s Variations Goldberg, BWV 988 and a selection of his own compositions.
SUNDAY 2nd AUGUST – 18h00
CONCERT CONCERTOS
Palais de l’Europe
Young pianists selected from the most prestigious international piano competitions will tackle the concerto format. They will be accompanied by Juliette Journaux, who will play the orchestral parts. In partnership with Yamaha.
- Hao-Wei Lin, piano – W.A. Mozart : Concerto pour piano n°20 en ré mineur K466
- Mateusz Dubiel, piano – E. Grieg : Concerto pour piano en la mineur op. 16
MONDAY 3rd AUGUST – 18h00
MARIE-LAURE GARNIER | CELIA ONETO BENSAID
Palais de l’Europe
Soprano Marie-Laure Garnier, accompanied by Celia Oneto Bensaid on piano, presents an evening entitled Songs of Hope. She will be performing a number of traditional songs and other titles, including Francis Poulenc’s La main dominée par le cœur, Ilse Weber’s Wiegala and Maurice Ravel’s Kaddisch.
TUESDAY 4th AUGUST – 21h00
LEONIDAS KAVAKOS | ENRICO PACE
Parvis de la Basilique Saint Michel Archange
Video via violinman_ on YouTube
An evening of chamber music with Leonidas Kavakos on violin and Enrico Pace on piano. On the programme:
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Violin Sonata No. 21 in E minor, K. 304
- Dmitri Shostakovich: Violin Sonata, Op. 134
- Franz Schubert: Rondo brillant in B minor, D. 895
- Igor Stravinsky: Divertimento for Violin and Piano (after The Fairy’s Kiss)
WEDNESDAY 5th AUGUST – 21h00
ENSEMBLE I GEMELLI | EMILIANO GONZALEZ TORO | MAXIMILIANO DANTA
Parvis de la Basilique Saint Michel Archange
An evening entitled La Grande Battle, featuring Ensemble I Gemelli along with tenor Emiliano Gonzalez Toro and countertenor Maximiliano Danta. The MC for the evening is Mathilde Etienne and artistic direction is by Emiliano Gonzalez Toro and Mathilde Etienne. On the programme, the music of Antonio Vivaldi.
THURSDAY 6th AUGUST – 18h00
VASSILENA SERAFIMOVA | THOMAS ENHCO
Palais de l’Europe
Vassilena Serafimova on the marimba and Thomas Enhco on piano, present « Funambules » Improvisations around Bach, Rachmaninov… Having toured the world as a duo for over fifteen years, Thomas Enhco and Vassilena Serafimova join forces in a new creation for piano and marimba, blending their respective musical worlds.
FRIDAY 7th AUGUST – 21h00
ALEXANDRE KANTOROW
Parvis de la Basilique Saint Michel Archange
Video via medici.tv on YouTube
The 2026 festival concludes with a piano recital, featuring Alexandre Kantorow. He will be performing Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, S. 180 by Johann Sebastian Bach / Franz Liszt, Nikolai Medtner’s Sonate en fa mineur, op. 5, Frédéric Chopin’s Prélude en ut dièse mineur, op. 45 and Sonate n° 32 en do mineur, op. 111 by Ludwig van Beethoven.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Festival de Musique de Menton | 25th July to 7th August, 2026 | Free-entry pre-opening concert on Thursday, 24th July, 2026
Tickets available online or from the Office de Tourisme in Menton in person or by calling +33 (0)4 83 93 70 20
Further information on access and parking available on the festival website
“The arts are the surest way to escape the world; they are also the surest way to unite with it.”
This magnificent phrase attributed to Franz Liszt perfectly illustrates the magic that has been unfolding, year after year, at the Menton Festival for three-quarters of a century.“
Paul-Emmanuel Thomas – Artistic Director, Festival de Menton
VENUE DETAILS
Place de l’église
Parvis de la Basilique Saint Michel Archange
06500 Menton
Tel: +33 (04 83 93 70 20
Web: https://www.festival-musique-menton.fr/
PHOTO CREDITS
- Lead image, poster and banner courtesy and © Ville de Menton
- All videos as credited
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