12th Marvão International Music Festival (FIMM)
AT A GLANCE
The Marvão International Music Festival (FIMM) returns for its 12th edition from 24 July to 2 August 2026, bringing together world-class artists in one of Europe’s most extraordinary cultural landscapes.
Set within the medieval village of Marvão, the Festival offers a unique encounter between music, history and nature where performances unfold across open-air stages, historic architecture and vast horizons.
Dates: 24 July – 2 August 2026Location: Marvão, Alentejo | Portugal
Programme: ~40 concerts & events
Artistic Direction: Juliane Banse & Christoph Poppen
THE FESTIVAL
The Marvão International Music Festival (FIMM) returns from 24 July to 2 August 2026 for its 12th edition.
Founded in 2014 by soprano Juliane Banse and conductor Christoph Poppen, the festival has grown into one of Portugal’s largest classical music festivals, attracting audiences, musicians and cultural professionals from across Europe and beyond.
Today, it combines international artistic standards with a format that remains unusually personal and accessible.FIMM takes place in and around the medieval village of Marvão, in Alentejo region, located within the Serra de São Mamede Natural Park near the Spanish border. Over ten days, concerts, artistic projects and cultural activities unfold across churches, castle spaces and the archaeological site of Ammaia, creating a close relationship between music, landscape and heritage.
Unlike many festivals built around touring schedules and one-off appearances, FIMM encourages artists to remain in Marvão throughout the festival. Musicians participate in multiple projects, perform alongside different colleagues and become part of the life of the village, creating an atmosphere shaped as much by collaboration and encounter as by the concerts themselves.
FIMM 2026
The 2026 edition presents more than 40 concerts and complementary events, bringing together more than 320 musicians, conductors, singers and artists from Portugal, Europe and beyond.
The programme ranges from orchestral concerts and chamber music to song recitals, choral projects, contemporary works and Late Night Specials. Alongside the musical programme, the festival also includes guided tours, drawing workshops, open rehearsals, children’s events, artistic installations and the return of the Marvão Festival Chorus under the direction of Pedro Teixeira.
Among the highlights of this edition are the BPI | Fundação “la Caixa” Opening Gala, the bp Portugal Orchestra Concert, the Ammaia BPI | Fundação “la Caixa” Concert at the Roman archaeological site of Ammaia and the European première of Time (in-)Linear by Hong Kong composer Alice Yeung. The programme also marks the 50thanniversary of Benjamin Britten’s death and includes a Late Night composer portrait dedicated to Isang Yun.
As in previous editions, the Festival combines internationally recognised artists with emerging talents and long-standing artistic collaborations. Rather than focusing on a single headline event, FIMM 2026 is built around a sequence of interconnected musical experiences that unfold across ten days and multiple venues, encouraging audiences to explore the programme as a whole.
CHRISTOPH POPPEN
CONDUCTOR