Rythm and ritual

The Baltic Sea Festival 2026 opens with premieres and pulse! Andres Orozco-Estrada debuts as Chief Conductor, Hillborg’s Hell Mountain has its Swedish premiere, and Molly Kien’s new work receives its world premiere. Soprano Malin Byström sparkles in Alma Mahler’s songs before the evening culminates in Stravinsky’s iconic The Rite of Spring.

Alfie sits alone in the apartment where he lives and feels lonely. He has moved to a new place and doesn’t know any of the other children there. Sometimes his imaginary friend Malcolm appears, and when they play together, Alfons always gets to decide — like being the train driver when they play trains. The problem is that Mållgan never shows up when he is really needed, like when the “big boys” chase Alfons and spray his jacket with water pistols. A performance about friendship, based on Alfie Atkins, the beloved children’s book character created by Gunilla Bergström.