The Festival Música Antigua Aranjuez opens its 33rd edition on 2 October and runs until 8 November 2026. The organisers, the Ayuntamiento de Aranjuez and the Community of Madrid, have announced a programme featuring leading soloists and ensembles specialising in historically informed performance. Concerts are planned at prominent venues in the Real Sitio, including the Capilla del Palacio Real, with Bodega de Carlos III and the Teatro Real Carlos III.
Guests include the British harpsichordist and conductor Richard Egarr, the violinist Lina Tur Bonet and the viol player and ensemble director Fahmi Alqhai Performances have also been announced by the groups La Ritirata and the Orquesta Barroca de Sevilla. According to the organisers, the edition includes Spanish premieres and anniversary-themed features, including references to Charles Burney and Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga. Its period spans the late Baroque to the early Classical era.
The festival’s artistic vision aims to bring music and architectural heritage together. To this end, it uses historic spaces within the royal complex in Aranjuez, each offering its own acoustics and programme formats. The series is aimed at international audiences as well as the local cultural scene in the Comunidad de Madrid; several concerts are intended to bring together projects by Spanish ensembles and internationally renowned guests.
Advance ticket sales have begun, according to the organisers. As the concerts are spread across several weeks and venues, the organisers recommend planning ahead. Specific line-ups and selections of works have been announced for some programmes, and these are not identical at every venue.
Since its beginnings, the Música Antigua Aranjuez Festival has been regarded as a showcase for historically informed performance in Spain. By using the chapel, theatre and other historic spaces, the 33rd edition once again highlights Aranjuez’s distinctive landscape and architecture. According to the organisers, cooperation with regional and national institutions is intended to broaden the festival’s reach while strengthening the Real Sitio’s profile as a cultural destination. The organisers have made no forecasts for attendance, but point to sustained demand at previous editions.
The current programme, dates and venues have been published by the organising institutions. Short-notice changes to the schedule are possible and will be announced by the organisers.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).