Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival
International Festival for Baroque Opera in the UNESCO World Heritage Margravial Opera House
About Bayreuth Baroque
Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a Bayreuth Baroque al mejor precio.
Sponsored link
A World-Class Stage
The heart of Bayreuth Baroque is the Margravial Opera House, one of the best-preserved theatre buildings of European Baroque. Built in 1748 under Margravine Wilhelmine of Bayreuth — Frederick the Great's favorite sister — by the Italian theatre architect Giuseppe Galli Bibiena, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2012. After several years of restoration, the building has shone in its original splendor again since 2018 and provided the ideal venue for a new festival in 2020.
Concept and Programme Structure
The focus of each festival edition is a lavishly staged Baroque opera, often works that have not been performed or rarely performed since their original Baroque premiere. In addition, there are concerts with internationally acclaimed specialists in historical performance practice, artist talks, gala dinners in the court yard, brunches, and festival tours. The resident ensemble is the Polish Wrocław Baroque Orchestra under the Greek conductor Markellos Chryssicos.
Artistic Signature of Max Emanuel Cencic
Since the first edition, the artistic director has been Max Emanuel Cencic, one of the most renowned countertenors of his generation. Cencic shapes the festival not only through his programme selection but also through his own productions and performances in leading roles. His programming focuses on rediscoveries from the Italian, French, and German Baroque repertoire — works by Handel, Vinci, Porpora, Hasse, Caldara, and Telemann have already been featured.
Concerts in Extraordinary Locations
Beyond the Opera House, Bayreuth Baroque uses other historical venues in Bayreuth: the Schlosskirche (Court Church), the Stadtkirche (City Church), the newly opened Friedrichsforum, and the Neues Schloss (New Palace). The concerts are often thematically linked to the main production and allow the audience to experience the craft of Baroque vocal art up close.
An International Destination
Bayreuth Baroque attracts an international audience from the USA, Japan, Great Britain, and all over Europe to Bayreuth. With the festival, the Margravial residence city — otherwise primarily associated with Richard Wagner — has once again become a hub of European high culture. The festival works closely with the Bayreuth Festival, Musica Bayreuth, and the World Heritage Management.
Bayreuth Baroque — edition 2026
The centerpiece of the seventh festival edition in 2026 is Georg Friedrich Handel's Floridante (HWV 14) — one of his rarely performed operas, premiered in London in 1721. The new production is directed by Max Emanuel Cencic, who also takes on the title role as a world-class countertenor. He is joined by soprano Eva Zalenga and mezzo-soprano Sonja Runje. The set design is by the late Helmut Stürmer (died October 2025) — a final work by the renowned stage designer —, the costumes by Corina Gramosteanu, and the lighting by Christoph Pöschko. The Wrocław Baroque Orchestra performs under Markellos Chryssicos.
Floridante will be performed six times — on September 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 13, 2026, in the Margravial Opera House.
Concert guests include the French countertenor Christophe Dumaux, the Russian soprano Julia Lezhneva, and the vocal ensemble The Sopranos. The newly opened Friedrichsforum will host the special programme Caesar meets Rodelinda — a concert encounter of two Handel queens.
Programme Bayreuth Baroque 2026
Staged Performances Floridante (G. F. Handel)
- Friday, September 4, 2026 — Premiere in the Margravial Opera House
- Sunday, September 6, 2026
- Tuesday, September 8, 2026
- Thursday, September 10, 2026
- Saturday, September 12, 2026
- Sunday, September 13, 2026 — Final performance
Direction: Max Emanuel Cencic (also title role)
Eva Zalenga (soprano), Sonja Runje (mezzo-soprano)
Wrocław Baroque Orchestra, Conductor: Markellos Chryssicos
Set Design: Helmut Stürmer
Costumes: Corina Gramosteanu
Lighting: Christoph Pöschko
Concerts and Special Programme
- Solo performances by Christophe Dumaux (countertenor)
- Solo recital by Julia Lezhneva (soprano)
- Vocal ensemble The Sopranos
- Caesar meets Rodelinda — special programme in the newly opened Friedrichsforum
- Brunches and gala dinners between performances
- Artist talks and introductory lectures
Highlights Bayreuth Baroque 2026
- Rarely performed Handel opera Floridante in a new production
- Max Emanuel Cencic in a dual role as director and title countertenor
- Six performances in the UNESCO World Heritage Margravial Opera House
- Concerts with Christophe Dumaux, Julia Lezhneva, The Sopranos
- Gala dinners and brunches as social events
Prices Bayreuth Baroque 2026
Tickets via bayreuthbaroque.de. Advance sales started on December 11, 2025. Prices range from approximately €25 (concerts in churches) to €350 (premium seats for Floridante), depending on the performance and category.
Practical information — Bayreuth Baroque
Getting Here
By train to Bayreuth Hauptbahnhof (main station) — the Opera House is about a 10-minute walk away. By car via the A9 (exit Bayreuth-Süd) or A70.
Tickets
Advance booking via bayreuthbaroque.de — sales for the 2026 edition began on December 11, 2025. Prices vary greatly depending on the performance and seating category; premium categories in the UNESCO Hall regularly sell out quickly.
Gala Dinner and Brunch
Festival brunches and gala dinners can be booked additionally and take place in the surrounding palace facilities — separate registration required.
Tip
A visit to the UNESCO World Heritage site itself is also worthwhile during the day: guided tours of the Margravial Opera House are offered daily.
Festival-goer photos
No photos yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
Max. 5 photos, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Spotted an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Each suggestion is reviewed by our team before being published.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community.
Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a Bayreuth Baroque al mejor precio.
Sponsored link
Where it takes place Bayreuth Baroque
Markgräfliches Opernhaus Bayreuth (UNESCO-Welterbe) und weitere Spielstätten
Opernstraße 14, 95444 Bayreuth