The 2026 Music in the Summer Air festival will take place from July 5 to 20 in Shanghai, with 33 in-person performances and online broadcasts for audiences around the world.

As a flagship event of the 2026 Shanghai Summer International Consumption Season, the festival is hosted by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, Huangpu district people's government, and Xuhui district people's government. The first round of ticket sales began at 1 pm on June 3.

This year, the festival will bring together top artists from around the world, with programs spanning film music, jazz, Silk Road folk music, modern dance, and classical choral music, and a strong focus on cross-disciplinary innovation and major premieres.

On the opening day, a newly commissioned music drama, Hamlet: Incidental Music and Dramatic Reading, will be presented at Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Hall by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra under the baton of its music director, Yu Long, together with narrators. The opening concert will also feature two works by Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi.

Chinese artists appearing at the festival include Zeng Yun, principal horn of the Berliner Philharmoniker; pianist Wang Liya; and Liu Ming, a young principal player of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.

In addition to onstage performances, the festival will launch a wide range of citywide cultural activities designed to bring art out of the concert hall and into residents' daily lives.

Multiple outdoor workshops will be held at Shanghai Greenhouse, Shanghai Botanical Garden, and Power Station of Art, linking dance, nature, and technology to create immersive artistic experiences.

This year's festival has also upgraded its ticket-stub benefits, partnering with 42 distinctive merchants in Xuhui district to create a 15-minute performing arts and lifestyle zone. Through this ticket-stub economy, the festival aims to promote the deep integration of culture, commerce, tourism, sports, and exhibitions.

Source: Shanghai Observer