Those moments that are etched in people’s minds for a long time to come: The horse and rider on their lap of honour in stadiums filled with cheering, euphoric spectators; newly crowned World Champions being celebrated enthusiastically during medal awarding ceremonies; images of the day capturing life-changing moments – tears of joy and the beaming smiles of winners. All these moments would be unthinkable without a fitting musical accompaniment.

Marc Vogler took on this special task. Although the 27-year-old actually works in the opera industry, he certainly sees parallels with the World Championships: “Major sporting events and opera have more in common than one might imagine: They are all about big emotions, suspense, pace and drama. Whether 60 stallions enter the arena or an opera choir; from a compositional point of view, it doesn’t make any difference.”

World premiere during the Opening Ceremony

The anthem will be played for the first time in its entirety during the official Opening Ceremony at the Allianz Park on August 11th. On this memorable evening, Marc Vogler will be seated at a grand piano to perform his piece of music for the first time in full live. As an integral part of the ceremony, the spectacular choreography will be synchronised to the music, making it a recurring element of this unforgettable occasion. “We wanted an anthem that sticks in your mind, gives you goosebumps and conjures up images of the spectacular scenes from these FEI World Championships for our visitors, long after the event. Marc Vogler has accomplished this task with flying colours,” commented, ALRV Board Member, Birgit Rosenberg with satisfaction.

As the official anthem of the FEI World Championships Aachen 2026, the composition has to be extremely versatile – suitable for gallop and trot, for the audience’s applause and for moments of both euphoria and quiet reflection. The piece of music not only features various changes of tempo, but also a range of genres. Marc Vogler explained: “I wanted to write a soundtrack that is instantly memorable and catchy, yet which possesses symphonic depth. That is why I am integrating elements of opera and classical music and combining them with pop music elements. The equestrian sport is steeped in tradition, whereas the World Championships are a modern-day event. The music therefore needs to reflect both: tradition and modernity!”

A-A-C-H-E – 5 notes in tribute

Elements evoking Aachen’s role as hosts of the event crop up in several sections of the piece. The musical sequence A-A-C-H-E forms the basis of the melody. Attentive listeners with a trained ear will also notice a hidden reference to the ancient Charlemagne hymn “Urbs Aquensis, Urbs regalis.” The people from Aachen were treated to a sneak preview of the anthem on Friday morning, when Marc Vogler and Dr. Michael Ziemons, the Mayor of Aachen, climbed to the top of the bell tower of Aachen’s Town Hall and a short excerpt of the anthem was played on the carillon, allowing the melody to ring out over the city centre.

If you would like to attend the official premiere of this anthem at the Allianz Park on August 11th, the last few remaining tickets for the Opening Ceremony are available from the online shop. Be there when the musical sequence A-A-C-H-E rises over the grandstands for the first time that evening, marking the historic opening of the FEI World Championships Aachen 2026.