From 8 – 17 May 2026, pianist Víkingur Ólafsson presents the new Lucerne Festival, Pulse, which he will curate for a period of three years. For the first edition entitled Time and Space, Víkingur Ólafsson has created a fascinating programme exploring connections from Johann Sebastian Bach to the present day, with artists including Thomas Adès, Elim Chan, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, MDR Radio Choir and Danish String Quartet. Víkingur will appear as soloist and in collaboration with the various ensembles. 

A 2026 highlight includes a thrilling new collaboration between Víkingur and renowned Icelandic-Danish artist Ólafur Elíasson, in which Víkingur performs the Goldberg Variations (8, 9 and 10 May) in an immersive real-time light and video installation by Eliasson. Held in the St. Pius Church in Meggen, near Lucerne, visual art and music will merge into a synaesthetic work of sound and light. 

Read more about the Festival here.