Guests of the Bratislava New Year’s Concert 2026 were this time transported, in the Mirror Hall of the Primate’s Palace in Bratislava, into the atmosphere of the spa towns of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy - Baden, Laxenburg, Bad Ischl, Kroměříž, Fertőd and Eisenstadt. It was in such environments that monarchs and aristocracy found space for rest, quiet reflection and a return to human moderation through art, nature and music. The dramaturgy of the concert was therefore carried in a spirit of nobility, elegance and the joy of music, which can momentarily suspend time and bring inner peace.

The musical programme featured works by Franz Lehár, Gaetano Donizetti, Bedřich Smetana, the Strauss dynasty, Richard Wagner, Jean-Philippe Rameau and other composers. The concert presented distinguished artistic personalities - accordion virtuoso Ksenija Sidorova Arizaga, acclaimed for her technical mastery and musical intelligence; the charming soprano Michaela Štiková Gemrotová, refined in expression and dramatically convincing; and tenor Daniel Matoušek, a representative of the emerging generation with natural energy and a resonant voice.

The musical atmosphere of the event was complemented by dancers Marta Nitranová and Zuzana Krausová, whose cultivated movement organically expanded the artistic image of the concert. The artists were traditionally accompanied by the Metropolitan Orchestra Bratislava and the Metropolitan Choir under the baton of Dušan Štefánek.

A shortened recording of the concert was broadcast by STVR on Dvojka. The full recording can be viewed in the Video Gallery on our website or on YouTube.