In the summer of 2026, Gdańsk will once again be filled with music as part of the 7th „Summer Evenings with the Mennonites” Festival. From June 23rd to August 19th, audiences will be able to attend a series of concerts held in the spaces on Elżbietańska Street: in St. Joseph's Church and in the Oblate Centre for Education and Culture.
The festival's name refers to the place where this cycle originated – the historic space of the former Mennonite settlement, long associated with intimate, summer music gatherings.
This year, however, the historic site will be a building site: work is underway to adapt it for use as a modern concert hall. Therefore, all concerts of this year's edition will take place in other, carefully selected spaces on Elżbietańska Street, while preserving the spirit of the festival: closeness to music, a summer atmosphere, and openness to the public.
This year's festival edition will showcase diversity as one of Cappella Gedanensis's greatest values. The programme will include early music, classical music, jazz, film music, vocal repertoire, chamber music, and solo concerts. It will also be a story about the possibilities of the ensemble and its artistic friends — musicians who together create an open, attractive, and accessible offering for a wide audience.
The festival is an ideal suggestion for summer evenings for both residents of Gdańsk and tourists visiting Pomerania. This is an event that you can attend after work, during your summer holiday stay in the city, or to invite family and friends visiting the seaside. For residents, it will also be an excellent opportunity to show their guests one of the city's most important musical hallmarks – the Cappella Gedanensis, the jewel in Gdańsk's crown.
The opening concert will take place on June 23rd at 7:00 PM at St. Joseph's Church.
During the evening „Baroque Journey from Gdańsk to Venice”, Łukasz Długosz, Mykola Yefymenko, Elżbieta Boguszewska and Cappella Gedanensis, conducted by Rafał Kłoczko, will perform. The programme will combine the works of composers associated with old Gdańsk with the music of Antonio Vivaldi.
In the coming weeks, audiences will hear, among others, Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, Klaudyna Żołnierek, Konstanty Wileński, the harp duo Carlos Peña Montoya & Juliusz Wesołowski, Manuel Fernandez, Accordion Band Harmonia, and soloists from the „Bel canto nad Motławą” concert. The festival will conclude on August 19th with the concert „Nordic Songs of Ice and Fire. Grieg–Sibelius–Nielsen,” featuring soloist Paweł Lach and Cappella Gedanensis conducted by Rafał Kłoczko.
The VII Festival „Summer Evenings with the Mennonites” will be a musical panorama of summer Gdańsk: open, diverse, and hospitable. It is an offer for those who love classical music, but also for those who are just finding their way to it – in beautiful interiors, in a holiday atmosphere, and performed by artists associated with one of the city's most important musical institutions.
Admission to the events will be free of charge. Admission to the opening concert will be free, while free tickets for the remaining concerts will be available for collection.
Two hours before the event begins. Limited places available.
