Celebrate the opening of the new season with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra! This time our annual free open-air concert takes place in Amsterdam’s bustling Oosterpark, featuring a support programme by young talent.
About this concert
Welcome to our free open-air concert! With Opening Night 2026, we celebrate the start of the new concert season in Amsterdam’s Oosterpark. We’ll perform an exciting programme full of classical highlights under the direction of Han-Na Chang. The evening kicks off with a cracking opening programme from 6.45 to 7.30 p.m. featuring young talent and local musicians. The orchestra will work closely with local entrepreneurs to make it a great music festival for everyone, with food and drinks available from several foodtrucks. Will you come too? You don't need a ticket!
The concert starts at 8.15 p.m. and admission is free.
The Concertgebouw Orchestra is making the rounds through the city: for the sixth time, we’ll be stopping off somewhere in Amsterdam to perform Opening Night. This time we’re paying a visit to Oosterpark in Amsterdam’s Oost (East) district. Here, we’ll perform a festive and compelling programme featuring well-known overtures by Wagner, Rossini and Glinka and some irresistible excerpts from Bizet’s opera, Carmen.
During the concert, Pretvormer will provide a surprising visual act. Rooted in Amsterdam-Oost, Pretvormer is known for its illuminated costume acts, including the annual Super Sint Maarten lantern parade in the Indische Buurt.
Support programme
Young talent is set to blow you away: between 6.45 p.m. and 7.30 p.m., talented young musicians from Amsterdam and far beyond will come together at the intersection of classical music, jazz and big band. The Jazz Focus big band (affiliated with Muziekschool Amsterdam), conducted by Lorenzo Mignacca, and the Nederlands Jeugd Strijkorkest, conducted by Carel den Hertog, join forces with alumni of the Concertgebouw Orchestra’s youth project ‘Young’ in works by by composers such as Borodin, Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Gershwin, and Dvořák.
Read more about the support programme (in Dutch)
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have any questions about accessibility, food and drink, or other practical matters relating to the concert? Have a look to see if your answer is listed in the frequently asked questions.
Radio and TV
AVROTROS will broadcast Opening Night live from the Oosterpark through Dutch national radio channel Radio Klassiek. The concert will be televised on Sunday 13 September at 6.15 and at 11.45 p.m. on NPO 2.
Partners
The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra's Opening Night is made possible by the support of global partners Booking.com, ING, and The Magnum Ice Cream Company, who aim to make classical music accessible to as wide an audience as possible.
Furthermore, this concert is supported by the Leading Women in Music Fund