Classical Music at Ridehuset and Jazz/pop Music at Bispetorv

The Royal Academy of Music once again has a strong presence at Aarhus Festival this year. New for 2026, the Academy will also present a series of classical performances.

For many years, Aarhus residents have been able to experience talented young Academy students as part of the Festival’s free stages for upcoming bands and artists. In 2026, RAMA students will be featured as part of the “Blitz” programme at Bispetorv.

This year, festival audiences will also have the opportunity to experience some of the Academy’s classical music students in a concert series at Ridehuset, as well as during the major closing event, Seeing Stars, on the festival’s final evening.

“Blitz” at Bispetorv

Throughout the festival week, Bispetorv will host music, performances, and much more across two stages. Admission is free from midday until late evening. RAMA will be represented by a total of seven bands and solo artists, each performing for approximately one hour across five festival days. Three of the seven acts come from the Academy’s Aalborg campus.

Together, these seven acts showcase a broad spectrum of the many jazz/pop and electronic genres explored by RAMA students. Audiences can experience everything from jazz, neo-soul, and beat jazz to indie pop, post-punk, and singer-songwriter storytelling, ranging from reflective and lyrical expressions to powerful, energetic performances.

Experience, for example, the post-punk band Marce, rooted in traditional folk-song heritage and driven by a deep love of noise music and dark sonic landscapes. Or Gloria Diana Maria from RAMA Aalborg, who combines soulful vocals with her own distinctive electronic universe. Or True Crime, performing contemporary jazz inspired by both hip-hop and neo-soul.
See the full line-up below.

In this video, you can meet the Italian musician Andrea, currently studying at RAMA Aalborg, who talks about his unique concert concept Den Lille Dør, combining projections of his own photographs from Northern Jutland with ambient jazz and rock-inspired music. Den Lille Dør performs at Blitz on Sunday, 30 August at 16:00.

Classical Music at Ridehuset and the Closing Event

For the first time, the Academy is also presenting four classical ensembles, featuring a wide variety of instruments and repertoire. Audiences can experience:

A guitar quartet (four guitars)
An oboe quartet (three string instruments and an oboe)
A flute and cello duo
A brass quintet

The repertoire includes works by Mozart, Bach, Piazzolla, and Vagn Holmboe, among others.

The ensembles will perform at Ridehuset, from Saturday through Tuesday during the festival week. A new ensemble will perform each day. Admission is free, and everyone is welcome.
See the full programme below.

Meet the flute and cello ensemble Ola Duo in this video, where they discuss their repertoire, ranging from Bach and Piazzolla to brand-new music. Ola Duo performs at Ridehuset on Monday, 31 August at 12:30.

Furthermore, 14 brass students will participate in the major closing event on Sunday evening, 6 September, Seeing Stars, which will bring Aarhus Festival 2026 to a close. The brass players will perform from various locations around the Festival Park between City Hall and the Concert Hall, while all lighting in the city centre surrounding the park is gradually switched off. Complete darkness will prevail from 9:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., allowing the night sky and the stars to be seen clearly.

RAMA is a co-organiser of the event, which offers a poetic conclusion to Aarhus Festival and demonstrates how an entire city can come together to create something beautiful.

Watch the trailer for Seeing Stars here.

Blitz at Bispetorv Line-up

For more information about each act, see the calendar at musikkons.dk.

Sunday, 30 August
Den Lille Dør – 16:00, Main Stage
True Crime – 19:15, Tent Stage

Monday, 31 August
Gloria Diana Maria – 17:00, Tent Stage
Methea – 19:00-19:50, Tent Stage

Tuesday, 1 September
Marce – 16:00, Main Stage

Thursday, 3 September
Bølle – 17:00, Tent Stage

Saturday, 5 September
PALADS – 19:15, Main Stage

Classical Music at Ridehuset – 12:30-13:00

For more information about each ensemble, see the calendar at musikkons.dk.

Saturday, 29 August – 15:30: ARCC Quartet (Guitar Quartet)
Sunday, 30 August – 15:30: Jyske Brass Quintet (Brass Quintet)
Monday, 31 August – 12:30: Dana Electric Oboe Quartet
Tuesday, 1 September – 12:30: Ola Duo (Flute & Cello Duo)

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