Bach Festival in Leipzig

Statue of Bach, Leipzig
Thomaskirche
Leipzig Gewandhaus

Overview

Itinerary

Fitness / Practicalities

Tour Director

Take in an exhilarating roster of Bach’s most popular cantatas featuring Vox Luminis, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir and The Constellation Choir & Orchestra under Sir John Eliot Gardiner
Enjoy a restful late-night concert with one of the world’s most beloved classical vocal groups, VOCES8
Appreciate the stunning acoustics of the Gewandhaus during a spectacular performance with Sir András Schiff, including Bach’s Goldberg Variations

“Sandy was as expected – knowledgeable, approachable and a superb communicator”

– ACE customer on the 2025 Bach Festival in Leipzig tour led by Sandy Burnett

Leipzig lies at the heart of the classical music tradition: Wagner was born here, Mendelssohn died here and Bach spent nearly three decades as Kapellmeister at the Thomaskirche. It is fitting, therefore, that Leipzig plays host to a magnificent annual festival centred on Bach and the composers he inspired.

Delving into this rich line-up, our tour weaves a carefully selected programme of festival performances around cultural visits, both in and within striking distance of Leipzig.

Coursing through the heart of our 2026 tour will be a unique selection of Bach’s most popular cantatas, performed by some of the world’s most acclaimed ensembles, including Vox Luminis, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir and The Constellation Choir & Orchestra under Sir John Eliot Gardiner. With each cantata kept under wraps until the night, we will only discover the final line-up during the festival itself, building towards two climactic concerts on our penultimate day. Soloists will include Austrian soprano Elisabeth Breuer, leading countertenor Maarten Engeltjes, tenor Tilman Lichdi, and renowned baritone Klaus Mertens. Our Tour Director will prepare the group for these special concerts by exploring the key characteristics of a cantata and anticipating which works will feature.

One of these concerts will take place in the splendid Nikolaikirche, which will also host us for a late-night concert featuring the celebrated VOCES8, whose exquisite polyphonic strands are sure to lift and inspire our spirits as we move further into our tour.

We will visit Leipzig’s famous Thomaskirche for several concerts, while a further venue – the Gewandhaus, whose acoustics are considered amongst the best in the world – will welcome us for a contrasting performance featuring distinguished pianist Sir András Schiff. Key works here will include Bach’s French Overture in C minor, his Italian Concerto, and the stupendous Goldberg Variations.

An excursion to Halle will introduce us to another celebrated classical music event, the Handel Festival, set to feature one of the composer’s greatest operas, Rinaldo, on its final day.

We round off our programme with a grand finale unveiling the top four cantatas courtesy of Sir John Elliot Gardiner and his excellent orchestra, before returning to London the following morning.

Complementing the musical content, we look forward to enjoying a hand-picked selection of local visits to illuminate our understanding of Leipzig’s rich musical heritage. We will explore sites associated with J S Bach, visiting the Bach Museum as well as the Mendelssohn House Museum, the composer’s final home in the city.

Our tour is based at the Seaside Park Hotel, a four-star Art Deco residence situated within easy walking distance of the Thomaskirche.

Sandy Burnett

Sandy is one of the UK’s most versatile musicians and music commentators.

This tour will be led by Sandy Burnett, MA, a musician and broadcaster who spent over a decade as one of the best-known classical music presenters on BBC Radio 3. He has conducted many orchestras and choirs, and has masterminded a complete cycle of J S Bach’s sacred cantatas.

Days
7

Cost
£3785

Tour Code
BACH-26

This tour has now departed

Fitness & Practicalities

The majority of ACE Cultural Tours are active in nature. To make the most of our time in a destination and provide excellent value for money, they are busy – there are often several visits included each day. As such, our tours require a certain minimum level of physical and mental fitness, mobility and stamina.

Many visits will involve navigating several steps, uneven ground, steep ascents and descents, and could involve embarking and disembarking aircraft, coaches, trains and cruise vessels. Plenty of walking, punctuated by lengthy periods of standing, is the norm. Some tours may involve long coach journeys.

It is essential that all customers are sufficiently fit and able enough to fully participate. Furthermore, every tour comprises a group of guests. We cannot allow the entire group to be negatively impacted by one participant, either holding up the pace we reasonably need to maintain or disproportionately requiring the attention and support of the tour staff.

We carefully consider the intensity, fitness and other requirements of each itinerary and describe them on the tour pages of our brochures and website. Please study these descriptions closely. When you call to book, we will reiterate those requirements and ask you to confirm that all group members are indeed fit enough and otherwise able to meet the criteria. It is your responsibility to answer fully and honestly. If it transpires that you are not able to keep pace with the tour and/or it reasonably appears you are negatively impacting (or are reasonably likely to negatively impact) the enjoyment of the rest of the group (including their ability to complete all scheduled visits), we may ask you to sit out certain days/visits, take a taxi at your own expense (if available in the location), or even, if we consider there is no other reasonable alternative, ask you to leave the tour and make your own way home.

Tour specific fitness information

This tour involves several excursions to museums, as well as walking tours, and participants should therefore feel comfortable staying on their feet for extended periods of time. Participants should be prepared for navigating cobbles, steps and staircases, as lifts are not always available. There are stone steps at the Nikolaikirche. Please be aware that some interiors may be dimly lit. A good general level of fitness is required for this tour. Participants should meet our usual fitness requirements, as described in our Booking Terms and Conditions.

Minimum fitness requirements

As a minimum, participants should be able to successfully complete the following self- assessment tests:

Walk for one hour at a reasonable pace and without needing to take a break to rest
Climb at least two flights of stairs at a reasonable pace
Stand unaided for at least 30 minutes
Stand up and sit down ten times in one minute
Carry or otherwise move your own luggage

Please ensure you have read and understand our full fitness requirements as described in our terms and conditions.

Click to read our terms and conditions

Flights

For customers who wish to make their own travel arrangements, ACE is pleased to be able to offer a flight reduction of £200.

UK Government Travel Advice

For additional travel information from the UK government please consult the following pages.

Days
7

Cost
£3785

Tour Code
BACH-26

This tour has now departed

Day 1

Depart London Heathrow 1035 on British Airways, arriving Berlin 1330. Transfer to Seaside Park Hotel, Leipzig, for six nights. Welcome and introduction.

Day 2

Morning lecture followed by walking tour of Leipzig (sites associated with Bach and the city’s musical life) and visit to the Bach Museum. Late afternoon festival performance at the Gewandhaus (Grosser Saal) featuring Sir András Schiff (piano): J S Bach French Overture in C minor, BWV 831.2, Italian Concerto, BWV 971, Goldberg Variations, BWV 988. Nighttime performance at the Nikolaikirche featuring VOCES8: J S Bach Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden, BWV 230, Jesu, meine Freude, BWV 227, Komm, Jesu, komm, BWV 229, Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf, BWV 226.

Day 3

Excursion to Halle for visit to the Handel House and Handel Festival performance: Handel Rinaldo.

Day 4

Morning lecture followed by a visit to the Mendelssohn House Museum (Mendelssohn’s final home in Leipzig, carefully restored). Late afternoon festival performance at the Thomaskirche featuring Vox Luminis: J S Bach ‘Top 50’ Cantatas VII (places 24-21). Free evening.

Day 5

Morning lecture followed by free time to explore Leipzig independently – for example, the Grassi Museum (art and design, musical instruments), Zeitgenössisches Forum, Leipzig Museum of Fine Arts, Museum in der Runden Ecke (originally a Secret Police headquarters). Evening festival performance at the Thomaskirche featuring The Constellation Choir & Orchestra and Soloists with Sir John Eliot Gardiner - J S Bach ‘Top 50’ Cantatas X (places 12-9).

Day 6

Morning lecture and farewell lunch. Late afternoon festival performance at the Thomaskirche featuring Elisabeth Breuer (soprano), Maarten Engeltjes (countertenor), Tilman Lichdi (tenor) & Klaus Mertens (bass) with Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir and Ton Koopman (conductor) - J S Bach ‘Top 50’ Cantatas XI (places 8-5). Independent dinner. Evening festival performance at the Nikolaikirche featuring The Constellation Choir & Orchestra and Soloists with Sir John Eliot Gardiner - J S Bach ‘Top 50’ Cantatas XII (places 4-1).

Day 7

Transfer to Berlin for 1505 flight, arriving Heathrow 1605.

Please note that the itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements, including the musical programme, may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time.

We have chosen the performances on this tour to provide as varied an experience as possible, showcasing the best of the Bach Festival as well as the music on offer in Halle (where suitable). Please note however that ticket categories cannot be confirmed until the latter half of 2025. The Thomaskirche and Nikolaikirche are both historical settings that evoke the performance styles and atmosphere that Bach would once have known. In the Thomaskirche, the audience often faces away from the performers; while in the smaller Nikolaikirche, sightlines are often interrupted by pillars. The quality of the sound, however, is always superb. Once seat numbers have been confirmed, the ACE team will review arrangements with Tour Director Sandy Burnett and may make small adjustments to ensure as good a quality experience for travellers as possible.

Days
7

Cost
£3785

Tour Code
BACH-26

This tour has now departed