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Roberto Blanco cancels the premiere of the 2025 Bayreuth Festival!
Bayreuth 2025: Roberto Blanco is missing from the festival premiere, while new productions and prominent guests are the focus.
Roberto Blanco cancels the premiere of the 2025 Bayreuth Festival!
The Bayreuth Festival had a special star this year. On June 14, 2025, the curtain rose on the renowned cultural event while the audience watched the action on the red carpet in bright sunshine. However, there was also a touch of sadness between the celebrity guests and soothing melodies, because a popular star will not be there this season.
The ever-popular Roberto Blanco, who had an outstanding premiere at the Bayreuth Festival last year, will not appear at the 2025 premiere. This news caused disappointed faces, both among the onlookers at the Green Hill and at the state reception, where Blanco had received a lot of applause in the past. In addition to his absence, there have already been several cancellations for the current festival season, although a regular guest from Franconia will make an appearance.
A colorful start under special circumstances
The opening of the festival took place in a festive atmosphere, with the doors closing at 4 p.m. behind the premiere audience. The prominent guest list included celebrities from politics, culture and society, including Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder and Katharina Schulze from the Greens. While Patrick Lindner and Blanco were met with enthusiasm by the audience, the Federal Minister of State for Culture, Claudia Roth, had to be subjected to heavy boos when she suggested a “younger and more diverse” organization of the festival.
This year there were also critical voices that questioned the entrenched structures. Roth raised the question of whether it wasn't time to expand the existing program, which currently includes 10 works by Richard Wagner.
Another highlight was the installation of 125 golden Richard Wagner sculptures by Otmar Hörl in the festival park, which were depicted in a slightly bent forward pose. The whole spectacle coincided with the opening performance of “Tristan and Isolde”, directed by Thor Arnarsson. The festival promises a total of 30 performances until August 27th.
Outlook for the 2025 festival
In the coming season, visitors can look forward to a special children's version of Wagner's “Tannhäuser”. While the festival opened with “Tristan and Isolde,” the festival looks back on a long history that dates back to 1876, when “Ring des Nibelungen” was performed for the first time. There will be a variety of productions that honor Wagner's musical legacy.
| Planned productions in 2025 | conductor | director | Stage design |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Meistersinger of Nuremberg | Daniele Gatti | Matthias Davids | Andrew D Edwards |
| The Rhinegold | Simone Young | Valentine Black | Andrea Cozzi |
| The Valkyrie | Simone Young | Valentine Black | Andrea Cozzi |
| Siegfried | Simone Young | Valentine Black | Andrea Cozzi |
| Twilight of the Gods | Simone Young | Valentine Black | Andrea Cozzi |
| Parsifal | Pablo Heras Casado | Jay Scheib | Mimi Lien |
| Tristan and Isolde | Semyon Bychkov | Thorleifur Örn Arnarsson | Vytautas Narbutas |
| Lohengrin | Christian Thielemann | Yuval Sharon | Rosa Loy and Neo Rauch |
Although the famous Blanco is missing this season, visitors can look forward to a diverse program. And perhaps a new, fresh wind will enrich the festival as the “Green Hill” prepares for magical performances. It looks like the next season of the Bayreuth Festival will remain exciting and full of surprises.
For more information about the history and performances of the Bayreuth Festival, visit bayreuther-festspiele.de.
History will be written again this season with volume and color. Be there!
Again courier reports, the disappointment over cancellations this season will not simply go away, while the festival remains a formative experience for everyone involved on stage and in the audience.
Please also see further details about the events BR.de to.