GRANDE FINALE 2025

Experience the final edition of YOUNG STAGE from 18 to 22 September 2025 – a spectacular artistic celebration full of emotion! Young, talented professional artists from 12 nations will compete one last time in the renowned competition, showcasing their extraordinary skills in a modern, world-class show. In addition, three award-winning acts with artists who once began their careers at YOUNG STAGE will return to our stage with exclusive performances.

This year’s show opening will be a true highlight: Look forward to two outstanding special guests – star accordionist Viviane Chassot and German actor and artist Lukas Brandl – in a powerful homage to the magical world of circus.

Hosted by showmaster Max Loong and accompanied by the groovy sounds of the band Äl Jawala, this will be an event like no other.

Be there when the GRANDE FINALE brings the festival’s nearly 20-year history to a spectacular close – a highlight you won’t want to miss! We look forward to welcoming you!

THE ARTISTS 2025

THE YOUNG STAGE SHOW

FANTASTIC ARTISTIC MOMENTS

The show lasts around 2.5 hours and includes an intermission. On the final evening, the six main-awards will be presented directly after the show as the highlight and conclusion of the YOUNG STAGE era.

MODERATION

Max Loong is hosting YOUNG STAGE for the 15th time and has long been an integral part of the festival. The showbiz professional, who lives in Los Angeles and Zurich, is a presenter, actor, entrepreneur and social media influencer. He is proud to have been part of the YOUNG STAGE success story almost from the beginning and to have been able to accompany the festival over the years.

THE YOUNG STAGE BAND

ÄL JAWALA – Arabic for ‘the wanderers’ – are extraordinary musicians who travel the world spreading Balkan brass, driving beats, infectious joie de vivre and an unwavering instinct for electrifying style combinations. Äl Jawala’s message is clear: “We are one, we all belong together, we dance together. Diversity is wealth, let’s celebrate it.”

ACTOR / CIRCUS DIRECTOR

Munich-based actor and magician Lukas Brandl moves on stage at the intersection of theatre, magic and contemporary circus. He completed his training at Codarts University of the Arts in Rotterdam and has been working internationally ever since. In 2022, he was awarded the Grand Prix of the German Championship of Magic. Lukas Brandl is known from various film and television productions, most recently as the lead actor in the second season of the ZDF series Der Palast (directed by Uli Edel). He loves playing with genre boundaries – and meeting people who live art with passion.

Star Accordionist

Viviane Chassot is considered one of the world’s outstanding accordionists. She bathes accordion sounds in an astonishingly sensual light. In addition to original works for her instrument, she plays piano works by Haydn, Mozart and Rameau and combines classical music, jazz, new music and improvisation, as on her current CD ‘Folk Flow’. She is the winner of the Kranichstein Music Prize and was awarded the Swiss Ambassador’s Award London in 2015. As an artist with international appeal and a pioneer in her field, Viviane Chassot received the Swiss Music Prize 2021 and the OPUS KLASSIK in 2022, the most prestigious international prize for classical music.