Opening concert marks the start of Davos 2026, Jon Batiste performs

DAVOS: The World Economic Forum (WEF) has once again opened its doors for its annual meeting in Davos, bringing together delegates from across the globe and a wide range of sectors to discuss pressing global issues impacting the global economy.

Notably, the 56th Annual Meeting kick-started on a musical note on January 19. An opening concert was held at the Congress Hall. The concert mirrored this year’s meeting theme, A Spirit of Dialogue, Børge Brende, President and CEO of the World Economic Forum, observed in his welcoming remarks.

“Music knows no borders, it speaks no single language. A violin, a trumpet, a clarinet and a drum, they come together in perfect harmony, each unique, each essential, each voice making the whole more beautiful”, Brende said.

Andre Hoffmann, Vice-Chairman at Roche Holding and Interim Co-Chair at the World Economic Forum, emphasised that the concert sets the tone for the meeting. He remarked, “The concert reflects the principles we seek to advance for the week: openness, collaboration, diversity and a responsibility to future generations.”

Larry Fink, Chair and CEO of BlackRock and Interim Co-Chair at the World Economic Forum, agreed and reflected on how the many genres of music all coming together in one concert perfectly represent the goals of this year’s Annual Meeting. He had also delivered some brief welcoming remarks earlier.

“To expose people to wider ranges of voices, to a wider range of ideas, maybe even an argument, but one that we have deeper understanding from,” Larry said.

After these welcoming remarks, the concert commenced with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra performing alongside acclaimed violinist Renaud Capucon. On a large LED screen behind the musicians, an AI-generated visual installation responded dynamically to their sounds, the brainchild of artist and technologist Ronen Tanchum.

(Image credits: WEF)
One of the standout moments of the concert was a classic performance by Oscar-winning musician Jon Batiste, energising the room and drawing participants to their feet to dance along.

Here are some of the visuals of Jon from his performance at Davos 2026 opening concert.

(Credits: WEF)

The 56th annual meeting will take place till January 23. (ANI)