Collegium Early Music Christmas Festival

The 2026 edition of the Collegium Early Music Christmas Festival takes place in Riga, Latvia, from 5 to 20 December, inviting audiences to experience the richness of European musical heritage through the atmosphere, traditions and spirituality of the Christmas season. 

Organised by Collegium Musicum Riga, the festival brings together professional musicians, vocal ensembles, choirs and soloists in a programme combining early music, sacred repertoire, chamber music, musical storytelling and participatory experiences. The festival takes place at the Collegium Musicum Riga Concert Hall in the heart of Riga's Old Town and in historical sacred spaces, creating a meaningful dialogue between music, architecture and the festive season. The artistic programme explores different dimensions of Christmas – from reflection, spirituality and intimacy to joy, celebration and shared musical experiences. Through carefully curated programmes, the festival presents both internationally recognised masterpieces and lesser-known repertoire, encouraging audiences to discover the diversity of Europe's musical traditions. 

The 2026 edition opens on 5 December with “A Winter's Tale”, a concert creating a poetic musical journey through the atmosphere of winter and the anticipation of Christmas. On 11 December, “Believing and Loving” presents Giovanni Battista Pergolesi's celebrated Stabat Mater, offering an intimate encounter with one of the most moving masterpieces of Baroque sacred music. On 13 December, “Vivaldi. Musica Sacra” brings together professional musicians and several Latvian choirs in a large-scale sacred music programme at St Mary Magdalene Church. The concert celebrates the expressive richness of Antonio Vivaldi's sacred repertoire while creating opportunities for collaboration between professional artists and amateur musical communities.

 An important participatory element of the festival is the Latvian Christmas Songs Sing-Along Evening on 16 December. This event invites audiences to become active participants rather than passive listeners, celebrating Latvia's musical traditions through collective singing. It reflects our commitment to community engagement, accessibility and intergenerational cultural dialogue. The festival concludes on 20 December with “A Moment Before the Miracle”, offering audiences a musical space for reflection, inspiration and anticipation just before Christmas. A distinctive feature of the Collegium Early Music Christmas Festival is its combination of artistic excellence with intimacy and accessibility. The festival creates opportunities for audiences to experience music in close proximity to performers, encouraging personal connections with historical repertoire and artistic interpretation. 

The 2026 edition also strengthens collaboration between professional early music performers, emerging musicians and local choirs, contributing to the development of Latvia's musical ecosystem. Through a combination of ticketed concerts, community-oriented events and diverse artistic formats, we aim to reach both established classical music audiences and people discovering early music for the first time. Our ambition is to establish the festival as a distinctive annual cultural tradition in Riga and a meaningful contributor to the European Christmas festival landscape. By connecting historical musical heritage with contemporary audiences, we seek to create a welcoming space where music becomes a source of inspiration, cultural discovery, reflection and shared celebration. The Collegium Early Music Christmas Festival celebrates not only the beauty of historical music, but also its enduring ability to bring people together across generations, cultures and musical experiences.