Folk music: Around 90,000 guests attend Rudolstadt-Festival

The Rudolstadt-Festival concluded its 34th edition, drawing an estimated 90,000 visitors to the Thuringian town. This attendance figure closely matches that of the previous year, indicating sustained popularity for the folk and world music event. Artists hailing from approximately 40 different countries graced the festival's stages this year, showcasing a diverse range of global musical talent.

Festival organizers reported that the relocation of some stages due to construction work at Heidecksburg Castle, necessitating a move to the Heinepark and new venues like the Schiller Theater and Luther Church, was successful. Despite the changes, the festival featured around 30 stages, offering a wide array of performances.

The festival culminated on Sunday with the awarding of the "Ruth" World Music Prize to songwriter Dota Kehr. The jury recognized her for her musical interpretations of poems by Mascha Kaléko, dating back to the 1920s, praising the "great art of a clever poetess meeting colorful interpretations by a clever musician."

Kehr announced in advance that she would donate the 5,000 Euro prize money equally to Doctors Without Borders and Brazilian musician Danilo Guilherme, to help cover his treatment costs for ALS. For the upcoming year, the festival will focus on South Korea, following this year's spotlight on Austria. The next Rudolstadt-Festival is scheduled to take place from July 1 to 4, 2027.

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Great art of a clever poetess meets colorful interpretations by a clever musician.