PASSION
The Festival Theme 2027
Passion is the driving force behind every great work of art. It is the spark that inspires composers to create, musicians to perform and audiences to listen.
With its 2027 theme, “PASSION,” the Menuhin Festival Gstaad celebrates this force: the passion of the artists, the enthusiasm of the audience and the unique connection that music creates between people.
Project H.O.P.E. in Copenhagen
On September 26 and 27, 2026, the first edition of Project H.O.P.E. will take place at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen. Conceived by Daniel Hope, the Menuhin Festival Gstaad and Fondation Juchum, the new initiative brings together music, medical science and social responsibility.
The programme includes public masterclasses with Daniel Hope, Sound Labs for children with hearing impairment, and a “Hearing, Music & Science” conference featuring international experts and special guest Dame Evelyn Glennie.
Participation is free of charge. Registration and further information are now available.
Menuhin festival academy
It is with the idea of perpetuating its commitment to the next generation that Gstaad Menuhin Festival & Academy created the Menuhin Festival Academy in 2008: a structure in its own right to support an increasingly rich academic offer. At the Menuhin Festival Academy we offer the complete range of master courses addressed to young professionals, as well as all the courses which are aimed at amateur orchestra musicians of all ages.
the Gstaad Concert Hall
A modern concert hall with outstanding acoustics and 1,200 seats is intended to replace the Festival Tent and strengthen Gstaad as a cultural destination. The project is closely linked to the planned multifunctional hall, which will combine sports and events throughout the year. A key first step toward moving this project into the concrete planning phase is seen in the clear approval by the voters of the Municipality of Saanen on 4 April 2025 of the planning costs for the sports and events hall, as well as the clear approval in autumn 2025 of the ZPP zoning plan. Both votes are regarded as a strong signal from the population to the initiators that the overall project is on the right track.
YEHUDI MENUHIN
Lord Menuhin, the founder of the Gstaad classical music festival bearing his name, is still remembered as a world famous violin child prodigy, conductor and humanist. His remarkable humanity, his multi-faceted artistic gifts and his perpetual curiosity were the hallmarks of his creative endeavours. It was in 1957 that this honorary resident of Saanen founded the legendary festival in the Saanenland. The promotion of young talent was just as important to him as playing music amongst friends.