Fratopia Festival

The amazing heritage building of Alter Oper in the city of Frankfurt opens its doors once a year during the Fratopia Festival and welcomes everyone inside.

Fratopia Festival

Over 100 concerts will be played over the five-day festival, in every room of the building, all for free. With the aim of breaking down barriers between people and music, no tickets are required and you can just wander in a see what takes your fancy.

The concept of the festival is an experimental exploration of the communication of music. While this sounds very highbrow, it manifests in a very accessible way. It means, for instance, that you can hear Billie Eilish songs played by an orchestra, or Björk by a string quintet. Indian Raga gets fused with Jazz, and someone has written a continuation of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

Different zones for different vibes

The Alter Opera is an enormous building and has many different rooms to explore. Each one has its own unique style and offerings. In the Large Room, the metaphorical removing of barriers is made literal by the removal of the stage. Musicians play in the centre of the room, with the audience seated all around on floor cushions.

The Liszt Salon has a focus on shorter pieces by solo instrumentalists, for those without much time to explore. In the Clara Schumann Foyer, musicians play through the afternoon, and in the evening there will be talks and interviews with various performers.

The Telemann Salon hosts the Reclining Concerts, where the audience can stretch out in the darkness and be serenaded by invisible musicians, while the Mendelssohn Salon becomes a cinema where Volker Gehrling's flipbooks are projected throughout the day.

For those who want to spend the day moving between concerts, the Reading Lounge remains a quiet space for when you just need a little downtime before the next experience.

Come and enjoy Fratopia 2024

The Alter Oper is easily reached by public transport and even has its own metro stop, also called Alter Oper. Frankfurt itself is well connected to many other German cities, such as Stuttgart and Dusseldorf.

You can find out more about the lineup on the Alter Oper website, and you can even use their app to explore the programme in-depth.