Munich Opera Festival

The 2026 Opera Festival runs from June 18 to July 31, 2026, following the major anniversary year of 2025 (150 years of Opera Festival). The focus is on two festival premieres and the continuation of the new Munich Ring des Nibelungen by Tobias Kratzer and Vladimir Jurowski.

The opening will be the premiere of Richard Wagner's "Die Walküre" on June 25, 2026, at the National Theatre – the next step in the tetralogy after the highly acclaimed "Rheingold." Direction: Tobias Kratzer. Musical direction: Vladimir Jurowski. On July 4, "Die Walküre" will be broadcast free of charge to Max-Joseph-Platz as "Opera for All", starting at 5 PM.

At the Prinzregententheater, Georg Friedrich Handel's "Alcina" will premiere as a festival production. Direction: Johanna Wehner. Musical direction: Stefano Montanari.

In addition, there will be the traditional recitals with Diana Damrau, Jonas Kaufmann, and Christian Gerhaher, numerous repertoire performances, and concerts by the Bavarian State Orchestra, as well as performances by the Bavarian State Ballet.

Festival Premieres 2026

• June 25, 2026 — "Die Walküre" (Wagner) · National Theatre · Direction: Tobias Kratzer · Musical Direction: Vladimir Jurowski · Further performances include 06/28, 07/04 ("Opera for All"), 07/11, 07/18, 07/26.
• "Alcina" (Handel) — Festival Premiere · Prinzregententheater · Direction: Johanna Wehner · Musical Direction: Stefano Montanari

Recitals and Concerts

• Diana Damrau — Recital
• Jonas Kaufmann — Recital
• Christian Gerhaher — Recital
• Further recitals will be announced on the official festival website
• Concerts by the Bavarian State Orchestra

Opera for All

• Saturday, July 4, 2026 — Free broadcast of "Die Walküre" to Max-Joseph-Platz, starting at 5 PM

Ballet and Repertoire

Performances by the Bavarian State Ballet and repertoire productions from the 2025/26 season complement the festival program. The complete overview will be published on the Bavarian State Opera website.

• Festival premiere "Die Walküre" (Wagner) — Directed by Tobias Kratzer, conducted by Jurowski
• Festival premiere "Alcina" (Handel) — Directed by Johanna Wehner
• "Opera for All" on July 4, 2026, at Max-Joseph-Platz (free admission)
• Recitals with Diana Damrau, Jonas Kaufmann, and Christian Gerhaher
• Six weeks of festival programming with opera, ballet, and concerts

Getting There

National Theatre at Max-Joseph-Platz (U-Bahn Marienplatz or Odeonsplatz, S-Bahn Marienplatz, 5 minutes walk each). Prinzregententheater on tram line 18 (stop Prinzregententheater) or U4/U5 Max-Weber-Platz. Cuvilliés-Theater in the Residenz, entrance Residenzstraße.

Tickets

Tickets usually go on sale in February/March. Festival highlights are often sold out months in advance. Remaining tickets are available at the box office on the day of the performance.

Opera for All

Live broadcast to Max-Joseph-Platz, usually starting around 5 PM. Free admission, seating is on a "first come, first served" basis.