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Munich Opera Festival Reports Strong Summer Attendance
Wagner and Handel led a densely packed programme.
The 2026 Munich Opera Festival attracted around 90,000 visitors and reported 98 per cent attendance across a summer programme combining new productions, repertory performances, recitals and public events.
Running from 18 June to 31 July, the festival included 33 performances of 12 operas, alongside ballet, chamber music and lectures. The figures underline the continuing appeal of a concentrated festival season built around the Bavarian State Opera’s artistic resources.
A new Die Walküre opened at the Nationaltheater on 25 June, conducted by Vladimir Jurowski and directed by Tobias Kratzer. The production formed another stage in the company’s developing Wagner cycle, with two complete Ring cycles planned for July 2027.
Handel supplied a contrasting new production. Alcina opened at the Prinzregententheater on 13 July, with Stefano Montanari conducting and Johanna Wehner directing. The cast included Jeanine De Bique, Elsa Benoit, John Holiday and Julian Prégardien.
The programme also included Brett Dean’s Of One Blood, which had received its world premiere in Munich in May. Its inclusion brought a newly created opera into a festival otherwise spanning established works and different historical styles.
Recitals provided a further strand. Christian Gerhaher performed Othmar Schoeck’s Elegie at the Cuvilliés-Theater on 26 July, followed by Schubert’s Winterreise at the Nationaltheater the next day. Asmik Grigorian also appeared, while a planned Jonas Kaufmann recital was cancelled.
Beyond the theatres, the BMW Opera for All presentation on 4 July relayed Die Walküre to Max-Joseph-Platz and online. The combined audience was reported at approximately 35,000.
The festival’s results consequently reflect several kinds of participation: ticketed performances, concentrated recital programmes and free access beyond the auditorium. Together, they show how the summer season extends the company’s reach while providing a platform for the next stages of its operatic plans.