Immling Festival

30 Years of Operatic Magic in the Chiemgau

The Immling Festival began in 1997 with an idea by Ludwig Baumann: a production of Mozart's The Magic Flute at a quarry pond on Gut Immling. When rain thwarted the planned open-air premiere, they quickly moved to a specially erected riding hall – and a festival was born. Today, 30 years later, the emergency solution has become a firmly established festival institution in Southern Germany, with a climate-controlled festival theatre, international soloists, a festival orchestra, and a loyal regular audience.

Festival Theatre and Star Tent

Over the years, the former riding hall has been converted into a high-quality festival theatre with carefully designed acoustics and "most comfortable seating." Additionally, the Sternenzelt (Star Tent) was built – an openly designed venue for concerts and chamber music formats. Gut Immling, located above Halfing on the edge of the Chiemgau, also offers a restaurant, hotel, and extensive grounds perfect for strolls during intermissions.

Festival Director Ludwig Baumann

The artistic driving force behind the festival is Ludwig Baumann, who founded the festival in 1997 and has shaped it ever since as artistic director, often as director and performer. It is supported by the non-profit association Unsere Oper e.V.

The 2026 Anniversary Programme – Four Operas, a Requiem, a Musical

For its 30th anniversary in 2026, the festival is presenting a particularly packed programme:

• Tosca (Puccini) – Premiere June 13, 2026
• Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) – Premiere June 20, 2026
• The Magic Flute (Mozart) – Premiere June 27, 2026 + Children's version. Musical direction: Cornelia von Kerssenbrock. Direction and concept: Ludwig Baumann. With The Magic Flute, the festival honours the opera with which everything began 30 years ago
• Un Ballo in Maschera (Verdi) – Premiere July 18, 2026
• Messa da Requiem (Verdi) – August 2, 2026, concert performance
• CATS (Andrew Lloyd Webber, Musical) – Premiere August 5, 2026, further performances until August 13
• Concerts: "Wien Wien, nur du allein" (Vienna Vienna, Only You Alone), "O sole mio" (Oh My Sun), "Buena Vista Immling" – various themed concerts between summer evening and the Star Tent
• Anniversary Gala + Finale Grande to conclude the season on August 16, 2026

Over the ten weeks, approximately 34 performances are scheduled – including children's and school performances that sometimes take place during the day.

Location and Travel

Gut Immling is located in Halfing (83128) in the Rosenheim district, at the transition between the Chiemgau and Rosenheimer Land regions. It is accessible by car via the A8 motorway (exit Frasdorf) or by public transport via Bad Endorf station, from which a shuttle service to the Gut is operated during the festival season. Advance booking via the festival hotline (+49 (0)8055 90340).

More Than Opera: A Day in the Countryside

What sets the Immling Festival apart from other Southern German opera festivals is its all-day atmosphere: visitors often arrive in the afternoon, settle down in the Gutshof restaurant, stroll through the grounds, gaze at the foothills of the Alps, and attend the evening performance. Sunsets are part of the programme, and the pre-Alpine panorama is part of the staging.