One of the world's largest classical music professional events is coming to Hungary for the first time: Budapest will host Classical:NEXT between April 9 and 12, 2026, jointly organized by Hangvető and Müpa as part of the Bartók Spring International Art Weeks.

Classical:NEXT is a global professional platform for classical music, where artists who push the boundaries and the most outstanding professional representatives of classical music shape the future of the genre by presenting their fresh, innovative ideas - the organizers said in a statement sent to MTI on Wednesday.

The event, which attracts more than 1,400 music professionals, performers, managers, publishers, journalists, teachers and festival organizers from more than 50 countries every year, includes a conference, a professional expo, a showcase concert series, a film program, as well as an award ceremony and networking events.

Budapest's historical and cultural heritage, as well as its world-famous musical tradition - the city of Béla Bartók, Zoltán Kodály and Ferenc Liszt, and the home of the greatest contemporary composers such as György Kurtág, György Ligeti and Péter Eötvös - offer the perfect location for the series of events next year - the announcement emphasizes.

András Lelkes, the managing director of Hangvető, is quoted as saying at the Classical:NEXT announcement event in Berlin on May 13: "Bringing Classical:NEXT to Budapest is a huge opportunity to show on an international level how exciting, vibrant and diverse the classical music life in Central Europe is today."

Classical:NEXT 2026 will take place within the framework of the Bartók Spring International Art Weeks, which has become one of the most important contemporary all-arts festivals in the region since its launch in 2021 - they write.

Via MTI / Cover photo credit: MÜPA Budapest