Festival weekend in the Erzgebirge

Aue-Bad Schlema has established itself on the cultural map as a late-summer highlight for fans of brass band music. On the third weekend of September, from 18 to 20 September 2026, brass band enthusiasts from many countries will once again flock to the spa town.

Every year, thousands of music-loving visitors flock to the European Brass Band Festival to celebrate music without borders in the Ore Mountains. In the heated marquee, which seats 2,200, two stages provide a non-stop programme of brass band music – from the opening ceremony right through to the final concert.

Sunday becomes a participatory stage

In 2026, the festival will take a fresh approach: the third day of concerts is being reimagined. “We’re taking a chance on something we’re really looking forward to,” says Mario Unger-Reißmann, spokesperson for the host organisation, the Aue-Bad Schlema Miners’ Wind Orchestra.

The centrepiece of the new programme is a joint concert on Sunday afternoon, which is expected to last around an hour. “We’re inviting anyone who’d like to play with us and our guests to come up on stage,” says Unger-Reißmann, explaining the idea. Anyone who enjoys making music can be part of this performance – and thus part of the festival.

You can find the programme for this joint concert here: https://www.blasmusikfest.eu/europa-klingt/ No booking is required. The festival in Bad Schlema is traditionally opened with a joint concert featuring all the orchestras – and now, with the new ‘play-along’ concert, the closing event will also have its own joint highlight.

Everyone is aware that the new format needs to develop. “This won’t be a sprint, but a marathon. But we hope it will gradually take root.” The aim is to bring brass band music to life and revitalise the community.

Everyone is aware that the new format needs to develop. “This won’t be a sprint, but a marathon. But we hope it will gradually take root.” The aim is to bring brass band music to life and revitalise the community.

Orchestra 2026 – Sounds from eight nations

Thirteen bands from eight countries are taking part in the 33rd European Brass Band Festival in Aue-Bad Schlema. They are bringing their brass band traditions, musical styles and stories to the Ore Mountains.

The following orchestras will be taking part in 2026:

• Bergmannsblasorchester Aue-Bad Schlema (Germany)
• Blaskapelle der Freiwilligen Feuerwehr Carlsfeld (Germany)
• Musikverein Stadtkapelle Herrenberg (Germany)
• Musikverein Lichtenstein/Sachsen (Germany)
• Jugendblasorchester Grimma (Germany)
• The Jazztronauts of Bergmannsblasorchester (Germany)
• Bürgermeister Musikkapelle – Die Markbrothers (Austria)
• Harmonie Volketswil (Switzerland)
• Orchestr VŠB-Technické univerzity Ostrava (Czech Republic)
• Acceler8 Band (United Kingdom)
• Blaaskapel Freunde Echo (Netherlands)
• Pihalni orkester Krško (Slovenia)
• Koninklijke Fanfare „Vermaak na Arbeid“ Rijkevorsel (Belgium)

The line-up thus covers a wide range: from the Ore Mountains through Saxony and Baden-Württemberg to Austria and Switzerland, and from the British brass scene via the Netherlands and Belgium to ensembles from Slovenia and the Czech Republic.

A sense of community that lingers

The European Brass Band Festival is organised and hosted by the Bergmannsblasorchester Aue-Bad Schlema e.V., which preserves the mining tradition of the Erzgebirge UNESCO World Heritage region through music.

With the new joint concert on Sunday, the festival is placing even greater emphasis on the idea that ‘making music brings people together’. When orchestras from eight nations take to the stage alongside musicians from the region, a soundscape is created in which borders no longer matter – all that remains is the shared joy of brass music.

Aue-Bad Schlema thus becomes a meeting place for brass musicians, fans and curious visitors who want to experience non-stop brass music for a whole weekend and, at the end, have the chance to immerse themselves in that festival atmosphere.

Dear friends of brass band music,

Music brings people together, fosters connections and fosters understanding where words sometimes fall short. The Europäisches Blasmsukfestival in Aue-Bad Schlema has for many years been a shining example of this unifying power. For the 33rd time, musicians from across Europe and numerous guests are gathering in the Erzgebirge to celebrate the diversity of wind music together. I would like to extend a warm welcome to you all.

With its international appeal and great popularity, the European Brass Band Festival has long been an integral part of cultural life in our region and far beyond. Thirteen bands from eight countries will be performing this year, demonstrating once again in impressive fashion that musical enthusiasm knows no bounds. At the same time, the festival serves as an important ambassador for the Erzgebirge their hospitality and their cultural identity. The connection to over 800 years of mining and metallurgical history is particularly palpable here. The ‘Steigerlied’ (miners’ song), recognised as intangible cultural heritage, and the components of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ‘Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region’ are expressions of a living tradition that continues to this day.

I am particularly pleased that the festival is taking a new direction this year: with the joint performance on the Sunday of the festival, musicians from the region are invited to become part of the event themselves. In this way,
the idea that ‘music brings people together’ becomes a shared experience that strengthens the community and allows people to experience the joy of making music first-hand.

I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone who, through their great personal commitment, has made this extraordinary festival possible: the organisers, the participating orchestras, the sponsors and supporters, and the many volunteers.

I wish all the performers and guests three unforgettable days at the festival, filled with musical highlights, warm encounters and boundless enthusiasm for brass music.

With a hearty ‘Glück auf’

Rico Anton
District Administrator of the Erzgebirge District

Dear ladies and gentlemen, dear friends of brass music, dear guests of the city and dear participants,

For more than three decades, the Bad Schlema district has been transformed into a stronghold of brass band music in September. What began in 1992 as a small club festival to mark the 25th anniversary of the Aue-Bad Schlema Miners’ Brass Orchestra has developed into one of the largest brass music festivals in Europe. The music association can rightly be proud of this achievement.

This festival thrives on great commitment, passion and impressive voluntary work. All of this cannot be praised highly enough. It deserves all our utmost respect and a big compliment!

Over three festival days, visitors can expect 46 concerts on two stages in a heated marquee with around 3,000 seats, two colorful parades with around 1,000 participants. In addition to first-class entertainment and musical variety, the festival also ensures encounters and helps to turn strangers into friends. It fulfills an important role as an ambassador for international understanding and enriches social life far beyond the Ore Mountains.

The program spans a wide range: from swing and big band sounds to traditional folk music and modern rock and pop arrangements. The festival thus represents the entire diversity of brass music and brings together people from different backgrounds, generations and cultures. Because music connects!

I wish you, dear guests, three eventful festival days full of music, joy and unforgettable impressions here in the heart of the spa town of Bad Schlema!

A hearty Glück Auf!

Franz Heinrich Kohl
Lord Mayor of the large district town of Aue-Bad Schlema

Without the Aue-Bad Schlema Miners’ Brass Band, the European Brass Band Festival would not exist today. It all began with the 25th anniversary of the orchestra, which was then still called the Aue Town Brass Band. To mark this anniversary, the music association organised the ‘1st Festival of Brass Music’ in 1992. Thanks to the commitment of the many volunteers in the music association, the festival has since become international. This year, more than 200 orchestras from 33 nations have been invited by the hosts to the beautiful Ore Mountains.

Since 2024, musical director and fellow mountaineer Manuel Ullmann has also been the managing director of the music association and has given the orchestra new momentum. He is also passionate about the association’s activities, which include, above all, fostering a sense of community among the musicians, who also get along well in their private lives. The hosts want to bring this breath of fresh air to the stage once again and, together with the audience, get the festival tent rocking.

The music association hosting the festival can look back on almost 60 years of history: founded in 1967 as the ‘Vereinigtes Blasorchester Wismut Aue’ (United Wind Orchestra of Wismut Aue), the instruments from the company orchestra were taken over in 1990 by the newly founded association ‘Blasorchester der Stadt Aue’ (Wind Orchestra of the City of Aue).

The musicians received support in reorganising from the Herrenberg town band, with whom they still maintain close contact 35 years later. In 1993, the orchestra returned to its roots and found a new home in Schlema. Since then, it has been known as the Kurbad Schlema Miners’ Brass Band.

Following the merger of Aue and Bad Schlema, the ensemble is now back where it started: it is the wind orchestra for the large district town of Aue-Bad Schlema, the largest town in the Ore Mountains, and proudly bears the new town name in its name and the new town coat of arms in its logo.

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“We don’t make brass music, we make music on brass instruments”

The former shawm band of VEB “Delicata” Fleischwarenfabrik Netzschkau became the orchestra in 1964, founded as the wind orchestra section of BSG Motor Netzschkau. In addition to performances on Republic Day, on election days, at garden parties, company events and residential district festivals, the band also took part in the district championships for minstrels. Participation in the GDR sports festivals in Leipzig in 1969, 1977, 1983 and 1987, but also in the IOC session, the 1973 World Festival, the youth festivals and the 750th anniversary celebrations in Berlin were particularly outstanding.

In the 1990s, the “Blasorchester des TSV Nema Netzschkau e.V.” was known for its broad repertoire. In addition to traditional brass band music such as polkas, marches and waltzes, it also includes mood pieces and modern pop and beat rhythms. They perform songs by artists such as Wolfgang Petry, Helene Fischer, Andreas Gabalier and Marius Müller-Westernhagen. The Vogtländer have been performing under the name “Netzschkauer Musikanten” since 2008 and we are still a section of the local sports club today. With around 30 active members, the ensemble has been a permanent fixture at various festivities in the Vogtland region and beyond for 60 years.

For their first participation in the European Brass Music Festival, they have created a new program, which includes well-known pieces as well as completely new interpretations.

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The Original Grüne Felder Musikanten have been around since 2019. Their repertoire includes Egerländer and Bohemian brass music, performed both instrumentally and vocally.

The ensemble consists of professional musicians and top amateurs from all parts of the Netherlands. In six years, they have made a name for themselves not only in their own country, but also in Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland.

In 2022, they reached the final of ‘Blow to Woodstock by WMC’ and in 2023 they took part in the biennial international festival in South Tyrol, Italy. The year 2024 was marked by their first theatre show entitled ‘Mein Leben ist die Blasmusik’ (My Life is Brass Music).

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Musical director:
Jörg Hofmann

Tradition meets modernity. The Spandauer Blasorchester from Berlin brings a wide range of music to Bad Schlema. With a mix of different musical genres – from traditional brass band music to pop and big band – the orchestra offers a listening experience for all generations. Our musicians bring passion and joy to every performance and create unforgettable moments on stage, and have been doing so for 65 years!

The musical director returns to his old home. The 32nd European Brass Band Festival is practically a home game for Jörg Hofmann. As a young tenor horn player, he gained his first valuable experience in the music corps of the mountain town of Schneeberg. He will meet many former colleagues again at the 32nd European Brass Band Festival.

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The music corps of the mountain town of Schneeberg is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year – and also at our festival. The orchestra from the neighboring town has been a guarantee for party atmosphere in the brass band arena for years. For the twelfth time, they will be performing modern brass music at the European Brass Music Festival. The band also interprets rock songs on electric and bass guitar and ensures that no listener can remain seated.

Founded in 1965 as a small sports band, in 1975 the orchestra, which had grown considerably in numbers in the meantime, was awarded the honorary title “Musikkorps der Bergstadt Schneeberg” by the Schneeberg town council – on the occasion of its 10th anniversary and because of the quality it had achieved. In 2001, the Saxon State Association of Miners’, Metallurgical and Miners’ Associations named the music corps the “Saxon State Mining Music Corps”.

The repertoire of the currently 65 active musicians includes not only the cultivation of mountain music, but also a wide variety of event projects in the entertainment sector with music ranging from big band sound and operetta to Bohemian brass music, but also rock and pop. Symphonic wind music in churches and concert halls is also of great importance to the orchestra.

Undoubtedly the greatest highlight of the orchestra’s activities is the program they put together themselves at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig entitled “Bergmannsweihnacht” (Miners’ Christmas) – which takes place in front of a sold-out audience every time.

Concert tours have taken the orchestra to the Czech Republic, France, Hungary and Japan, as well as appearances throughout Germany.

The association has been successfully training its own young musicians for years, and young musicians are increasingly shaping the image of the music corps.

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