Bregenzer Festspiele

The Bregenz Festival is a superlative which was created in 1946 with the first “Play on the Lake”. In the first years of the Bregenz Festival, mainly operettas were staged.

The Bregenz Lake Stage was opened 1949 and allowed to use state-of-the art stage equipment and special effects. And already in 1980, the new Bregenz Festival House was opened in Bregenz.

In the 1970s, operettas were replaced by operas: “The Flying Dutchman” (1973), “Carmen” (1974), “Turandot” (1979). Famous productions in the 1980s are: “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” (1987), “The Magic Flute” (1985), “Carmen” (1991). Due to these performances, the Bregenz Festival could secure its position amongst the internationally acknowledged summer festivals.

The biggest lake stage, the most interesting directors, the unique opera productions and, since 50 years, one of the greatest orchestras: the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

An international audience has been attracted to Bregenz to the Bregenz Festival; many come for the productions on the Lake Stage, others because of the famous rare opera productions in the House or the symphonic concerts.