Einstein on the Beach

Who says that opera only works on stage? At the KunstFestSpiele Philip Glass’s legendary Einstein on the Beach is given a concert performance at a venue that could hardly be more unusual: the magnificent Domed Hall of the Neues Rathaus. The hypnotic sound world of minimal music unfolds in echo loops between marble columns – in a space that might have been tailor made for the endless musical spirals and enigmatic texts of this game-changing work.

Einstein on the Beach, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026, is a milestone in music history – an opera that isn’t really an opera. No story, no arias in the classical sense, but a constantly changing stream of rhythms, voices and repetitions. A composition that pushed all the boundaries – and influenced future generations of composers.

The US-American singer Suzanne Vega, world famous for her songs Toms’s Diner and Luka, recites the mysterious poetic texts by Christopher Knowles, Samuel M. Johnson and Lucinda Childs. She is accompanied by the Collegium Vocale Gent and the ensemble ICTUS, directed by Tom de Cock and Michael Schmid.

If you want to take a breather or just drop by, the KunstFestSpiele Beachclub in the Garden Room and terrace next door is the place for you – with a drink in your hand and Glass’s music in your ears. You can’t get more chill than that!