Bayreuth Festival Scales Back 150th Anniversary Plans Due to Budget Constraints
Germany's renowned opera festival will feature fewer performances in 2026 as rising costs force significant reductions to its originally ambitious program.
- The Bayreuth Festival announced it will reduce its 2026 anniversary program from 11 operas to 7 due to financial challenges.
- Planned performances now include a new production of 'Rienzi,' revivals of 'The Flying Dutchman' and 'Parsifal,' and a reimagined 'Ring of the Nibelung.'
- Operas such as 'Tristan and Isolde,' 'The Mastersingers of Nuremberg,' and 'Lohengrin' have been cut from the lineup, along with a celebrated production of 'Tannhäuser.'
- Rising personnel costs and limited funding from stakeholders, including the German government and private sponsors, have contributed to the budget shortfall.
- The festival had already implemented cost-saving measures in 2023, including a 40% reduction in its choir size, to address escalating operational expenses.
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