Bregenz Festival
Against a magical scenic backdrop, the Bregenzer Festspiele offers high calibre artistry – and not only outdoors.
Premiere on 17th July 2024 - 21:15 on the floating stage
The curtain rises – let the show begin
Look forward to a programme of unforgettable operatic premieres and fantastic concerts in the Festival Hall, incredible examples of contemporary art in the Studio Theatre, or emotive pearls of of operatic literature in the Vorarlberger Landestheater. During the months of July and August this summer festival stages eighty performances which attract some 200,000 visitors to this area, on the borders of three countries between the Alps and Lake Constance. Artistic demand and a passion for the unusual have combined to create a magical experience on the shores of the lake.
2024 "Der Freischütz"
After the Thirty Years' War in a German village, the clerk Max falls in love with Agathe, the daughter of the hereditary forester Kuno. In order to marry her, Max has to pass a test. The dodgy war veteran Kaspar persuades him to shoot with enchanted free bullets in the Wolf Gorge, which are never supposed to miss. Max makes a pact with the devil, without realising that the seventh bullet is guided by the devil. On the wedding day, Agathe has dark premonitions. A lot is at stake during the test shot in which Max loads the seventh bullet. Der Freischütz, an emotional and gripping opera, is presented on the lake stage for the first time.
Guided tours behind the scenes
How about a peek behind the scenes of this great cultural industry? A 50 minute guided tour will take you through the interior of the theatre complex, offering an insight into the technology behind the floating stage, the current productions and the Festival Hall.
Tickets may be purchased by phoning +43 5574 407 6 or directly from the box office.
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE GUIDED TOURS
Dates
From 3rd May to 16th July 2024 guided tours are available to interested visitors at 16.00 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
From 18th July to 18th August 2024 guided tours are offered daily at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 13:30, 14:30 and 15:30.
Founding and development
1946 – The first Bregenz Festival Week took place just one year after the end of the Second World War. Using two gravel barges – one for the stage set, the other for the orchestra – Mozart’s early work "Bastien et Bastienne"was performed on the lake.
Even in its very first year, visitors from Austria, Germany, Switzerland and France secured the Festival a place of great international renown. From the very start the Vienna Symphony orchestra have played a leading part in the development and success of the Festival, and continue to do so right up to the present day.