Fully titled New Chapter of Silk Road – 2026 Shenzhen "Belt & Road" International Music Festival Opening Concert, the landmark performance will take place at the Opera Hall of Longgang International Arts Center at 8:00 pm on Friday, Sept 11.
Poster for the 2026 Shenzhen "Belt & Road" International Music Festival Opening Concert.
All tickets were released for sale at 10:30 am on July 20. The early-bird 20 percent discount applies to tickets priced from 380 yuan ($55) to 980 yuan and is valid until 11:59 pm on Aug 2. Holders of theater gold and silver cards can enjoy extra discounts on top of the early-bird offer. The whole show lasts about 105 minutes with a 15-minute intermission, and children under 1.2 meters are not admitted.
The concert gathers an all-star international cast led by chief conductor Lin Daye and the top-tier Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra. Headlining vocalists include South African soprano Pretty Yende, who makes her China debut here, and Chinese lyric tenor Wang Kang, the only Chinese artist in the Metropolitan Opera Young Artist Program.
Lin serves as music director and chief conductor of the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra.
The lineup also features Zhang Qianyuan, the only suona performer to win both the China Golden Bell Award and the Splendor Award, as well as Italian pianist Edoardo Turbil.
The repertoire blends Western opera classics, city-themed symphonies and cross-border commissioned works. A joint-commissioned piece, Loud Suona Blast, will have its world premiere, combining Italian composing techniques with Chinese suona tones. Symphonic suite The Story of Shenzhen will also be staged to narrate the city's decades-long development.
Group photo of the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra.
Hosted as a core cultural activity of the annual music festival, this opening gala lands at Longgang International Arts Center for the first time. It serves as a musical bridge for people-to-people exchanges among Belt & Road countries, showcases Longgang's world-class cultural facilities and elevates the district’s international cultural influence.
