The Canberra International Festival has launched its 2026 program. The second curated by Artistic Director Eugene Ughetti, the 2026 edition brings international guest artists and homegrown musical talent to the national capital over five days (29 April – 3 May).

Lina Tur Bonet. Photo © Klaus Feichtenberg

Spanish violinist Lina Tur Bonet makes her CIMF debut on the first day of the festival in Songs Beyond Twilight (featuring soprano Anna-Louise Cole and Ensemble Liaison) and in Folias de España on 1 May, a showcase of Spanish Baroque music with Australian harpsichordist Neal Peres Da Costa.

She also joins forces with James Crabb in Gassenhauser, a program of upbeat classical music and popular songs, and in Folk & Tango on 1 May, a program of European music performed with the Australian String Quartet, Crabb and Ensemble Liaison.

Prominent among the international guest list is the Swiss new music group Ensemble Contrechamps, which will present two programs across the course of the festival. The first, Tissages du Temps, dives into French composition spanning from Charpentier to Grisey; the second,