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.