JongFest Selection 2026
JongFest, the youth network of Flanders Festival Ghent, has once again selected three concerts they are especially looking forward to. Young people under 26 can purchase tickets for these concerts for just €10.
From a groundbreaking minimalist opera to iconic compositions and a basketball match about humanity set to songs by Björk, discover the diverse selection curated by JongFest below.
Wednesday 16 September - NTGent Schouwburg
Einstein on the Beach has no plot, no characters and no psychology. What it does have is pulse, repetition and the time to let something unfold. In a culture of constant refresh and permanent distraction, that feels almost radical today.
Knee Play 1’, ‘Knee Play 2’ or ‘Knee Play 3’: they’re all part of Einstein on the Beach. An opera you experience instead of trying to understand. For everyone with knees. Abstract, hypnotic, immersive. Dive in!
Friday 18 September - Muziekcentrum De Bijloke
Two Russian giants, one programme. The romantic pathos of Tchaikovsky alongside the Soviet irony of Dmitri Shostakovich — a greater contrast is hard to imagine. And yet, they come together in a single evening at Bijloke, performed by one of the Benelux’s leading orchestras.
Experiencing classical music live is unforgettable. You can literally feel the music moving through your body. Bijloke is already such a unique setting because of the historic character of the hall. And then you also get Shostakovich’s Sixth Symphony and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 on the programme — iconic pieces you really have to experience live at least once.
Monday 21 September - NTGent Schouwburg
A basketball court. Eight voices. One system under pressure. In HUNTER, Liesa Van der Aa fuses movement and sound into a tightly choreographed score. Björk’s Homogenic is dissected and reshaped, interwoven with new compositions and electronics. What first feels playful slowly tightens into something far more tense.
Game we’re playing is life,’ as Björk puts it. Liesa Van der Aa and vocal ensemble B O D I E S turn a basketball game into something deeply human. And the music is built around songs by Björk combined with original compositions, so honestly, that already makes it brilliant.