The main goal of the Festival is to commemorate and further develop the artistic heritage of globally renowned composer Leoš Janáček. The main dramaturgical line is formed by productions of mainly Janáček’s operas by prominent theatres from abroad as well as from the Czech Republic, as a confrontation of the interpretation of Janáček’s work by major artists.
The Festival regularly presents productions by leading directors from all over the world, such as Robert Carsen, Robert Wilson, Harry Kupfer, Peter Konwitschny, David Radok, and Jiří Kylián, and cooperates with renowned composers, such as Sir Charles Mackerras, Tomáš Hanus, Jiří Bělohlávek, and others, which makes it absolutely unique among similar events held in the Czech Republic.
In 2004, Janáčkovo Brno Festival (Janáček’s Brno) was held at which all the operas by Leoš Janáček were performed. This event inspired an idea of a regular biennale which has been successfully held since 2008. Despite its relatively short tradition, the Festival has established itself in Europe, it is a member of the Czech Association of Music Festivals and it has been actively participating in the international Opera Europa organization. As part of the Festival, co-production cooperation was established with opera houses, for example from Vienna, Antwerp or Göteborg, and among the guest productions were opera houses from Nuremberg, Graz, Maastricht, Moscow, Essen, Budapest, and other cities.
The main organizer of the Festival is National Theatre Brno..