40min

The 40min series is not just for die-hard classical music fans but for anyone who just wants to get a taste of the Festival mood. At 6:20 p.m., when the workday is over but the evening has not yet really begun, we introduce selected artists and works in short concerts. Admission is free, there is no dress code, and no prior knowledge is necessary. And for those for whom 40 minutes is not enough, we have a three-part 40min Open Air on 24 August.

As we know, all good things come in threes. Which is why this special edition of our popular 40min concert series presents three acts in a row as an open-air event on the Europaplatz (right in front of the KKL Luzern): 120 minutes of "classical music for all", hopefully in bright sunshine, occasionally flavored by the sound of a ship’s horn from Lake Lucerne. In any case, an opening fanfare will be provided by the young British brass quintet London Central Brass, who won the prestigious Philip Jones Brass Prize last year and will play such evergreens as Amazing Grace and Round Midnight alongside lively arrangements of Maurice Ravel and George Gershwin. They will be followed by a quintet from the local region, Schäbyschigg, which presents fresh interpretations of traditional Swiss melodies. To close, the young musicians of the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra (LFCO) will play a merry finale comprising car horns and doorbells, Béla Bartók’s folk-like Divertimento, and Mauricio Kagel’s wonderfully quirky Marches to Miss the Victory, in which the music is constantly out of step.

Under the following link you find impressions of the last Open Air 2023:

40 minutes of Lucerne Festival for the curious: at eight early evening events that are free admission, we will present selected artists and works — with music and in conversation, in a completely casual atmosphere.

Admission is free to the concerts in the 40min series but is possible only with a valid ticket (with the exception of the Open Air event on 24 August). Five days before the respective event, you can obtain free, unnumbered tickets starting at 10.00 am via lucernefestival.ch. The number of tickets is limited to two per order. Any remaining tickets can be obtained on site on the day of the event.