With the friendly support of the René und Susanne Braginsky Stiftung
Gustav Mahler remained silent about the idea behind his Ninth Symphony, but even his close circle of friends was certain that this work had special significance. Conductor Willem Mengelberg believed it to be a heartfelt farewell and assigned to the four movements the following images: “pain of separation and melancholy,” “dance of death,” “gallows humor,” and “memento mori.” His colleague Bruno Walter, Mahler’s former assistant, compared the enraptured finale with the “dissolution of a cloud into the blue of the heavens.” And the composer Alban Berg considered the Ninth to be “the most magnificent thing that Mahler ever wrote” — precisely because of its sense of impending doom. Musically, too, much of it seems to come from another world: the musical language is far ahead of its time. Mahler himself did not live to experience the world premiere, which Bruno Walter conducted in Vienna in June 1912, a year after the composer’s death. Since Mahler was unable to test the score in practice, we don’t know whether he would have made any changes — a particular challenge in the interpretation of this musical testament, according to Kirill Petrenko.
Kultur- und Kongresszentrum Luzern
Europaplatz 1
CH-6005 Luzern
Arrival | Parking Facilities
The KKL Luzern is located right next to Lucerne railway station. On account of the traffic and parking situation, it is recommended during Festival season that visitors use public transportation.
Arriving by train & bus
Take advantage of a 40% discount on public transport to Lucerne. You can find more Information here: to the SBB offer.
Arriving by Auto
Lucerne has a dynamic system to indicate parking availability that makes parking in the city easier for you. You can find a list of all parking garages in the City of Lucerne here: see List.
P+Rail
Various train stations outside the City of Lucerne have a Park & Ride offer for those traveling by train to Lucerne. The following train stations, which have abundant parking spaces, are especially handy: Sursee, Rotkreuz, Zug, Wolhusen, Arth-Goldau, and Sarnen.
Flying to Switzerland
Reserve your flight directly with SWISS , the Official Airline of Lucerne Festival.
Concierge Service for Your Travel Planning
Do you prefer to have your trip planned, with an emphasis on the “extra” in service? Then the travel experts at Bucher Reisen are readily available to help you.
Cloakroom
There are coat checkrooms not only in the basement, but also on the 2nd and 4th floors. Handbags up to a size of 42 x 29.7 x 29.7 cm (A3) may be taken into the concert hall. All larger bags and luggage as well as other bulky items must be checked for a fee of CHF 5.00 per item. For security reasons, coats and jackets may also not be taken into the concert hall and can be left at the checkroom free of charge.
Wheelchair seating
The main concert hall of the KKL Lucerne has six wheelchair spaces available on special terms. Accompanying persons cannot be assured of obtaining a seat in the same price range or in the general vicinity.
To reserve wheelchair spaces please call our ticket sales office directly at +41 (0)41 226 4480. Wheelchair spaces are always made available as soon as online ticket sales begin but can only be reserved by telephone.
Access to venues | Late admission
The main KKL Concert Hall opens 30 minutes before the beginning of the concert. For the sake of the musicians and the audience, latecomers will not be admitted until intermission or at the discretion of the Concert Hall staff. In certain instances concerts will have no intermission and allow no latecomers.
If the concert is missed on account of late arrival, tickets will not be refunded.
Gastronomy
In the KKL Luzern
In the mood for a cocktail at the Seebar? Coffee and fine pastries at the Le Piaf? Or would you prefer a multi-course menu in the Gault MiIlau-rated restaurant Lucide? The culinary possibilities in the KKL Luzern are many and varied. Before the concert begins, you can reserve your drinks and snacks for intermission at the KKL information desk in the main lobby of the KKL Luzern. Overview of the restaurants
In Lucerne
Within walking distance of all event venues you can find a wide variety of restaurants, bars, and cafés. The Lucerne Tourism office will gladly assist you in making your selection. Overview of Lucerne Tourism