Davos 2026 to open on a musical note with Jon Batiste concert

The World Economic Forum’s 2026 Annual Meeting in Davos is set to kickstart in a few hours with Grammy-winning musician Jon Batiste headlining a concert that opens the summit before broader discussions on geopolitics, growth, and technology begin.

Davos 2026 will bring together world leaders including US President Donald Trump and 65 heads of state and government as well as business leaders, from January 19 to 23 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.

Organisers said the musical event will feature the Mahler

Chamber Orchestra, renowned violinist Renaud Capuçon and Batiste, whose performance follows the classical set. The concert is part of a broader cultural programme intended to set a collaborative tone under this year’s theme, “A Spirit of Dialogue.”

In addition to live music, a digital visual installation by artist and technologist Ronen Tanchum will generate AI-derived imagery in real time, reacting to the music’s sound and rhythm. Forum officials said the mix of classical, contemporary, and digital art reflects an attempt to blend tradition with innovation at a time of deep geopolitical and technological shifts. 

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Batiste, known for blending jazz, soul, classical and gospel influences, is expected to take the stage after the orchestra, offering a set designed to bridge diverse musical styles before the formal economic and political agenda gets underway. 

The WEF’s annual meeting typically opens with speeches by economic and political leaders. 

This year’s choice to foreground a concert signals a broader push by the forum to use arts and culture to open diplomatic engagement and encourage dialogue among the roughly 3,000 participants from more than 130 countries who are expected to attend. 

Debates throughout the week will still focus on pressing global issues, from economic cooperation to technology governance.