SHALOM-MUSIK.KOELN

From 1 to 10 September 2026, SHALOM-MUSIK.KOELN will transform Cologne into a space of resonance for Jewish music in all its diversity for the fourth time. Under the motto “LISTENING,” the festival—held shortly before Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year—invites audiences to experience music consciously, engage in conversation, and discover new perspectives.

Across more than 25 venues—from the synagogue and clubs to the cathedral—Klezmer, classical music, jazz, and contemporary sounds come together. The programme demonstrates how Jewish music has been shaped by flight, exchange, and cultural connections, and how it continues to bring people together across borders today.

The festival opens on 1 September with the concert “Visiting Hilde Domin” at the Flora Köln, where four poems by the Jewish Cologne-born poet in exile will be heard as choral music for the first time. Further highlights include Avi Avital & Omer Klein on 3 September, the closing concert with Dame Emma Kirkby on 10 September, and the “Long Day of Jewish Music” on 6 September, featuring more than 50 free short concerts across Cologne’s city centre.