The Bayreuth Festival has announced a cast change for the Ring Cycle.

The company said, “with great regret, John Lundgren has to cancel his participation as Wotan and the Wanderer in the new production of ‘Der Ring des Nibelungen’ at the Bayreuth Festival 2022. For personal reasons, it is unfortunately not possible for him to be available from now until the premiere on July 31 for the intensive rehearsal work in Bayreuth that is necessary for the new production. However, the Bayreuth Festival is pleased to announce that John Lundgren will be joining this year’s Festival at a later date to embody the title role in the revival of ‘Der Fliegende Holländer,’ which he had already taken on in the 2021 premiere.”

As a result, “Egils Silins as Wotan in ‘Das Rheingold’ and Tomasz Konieczny as Wotan in ‘Walküre’ and Wanderer in ‘Siegfried’ two outstanding artists will take over the roles at short notice.”

“Das Rheingold” is set to open on July 31 and set to star Raimund Nolte, Attilio Glaser, Daniel Kirch, Christa Mayer, Elisabeth Teige, Okka von der Damerau, Olafur Sigurdarson, Arnold Bezuyen, Jens-Erik Aasbø, and Wilhelm Schwinghammer while “Die Walküre” will open on August 1 and will star Klaus Florian Vogt, Georg Zeppenfeld, Lise Davidsen, Iréne Theorin, and Christa Mayer. “Siegfried” opens on August 3 and will also star Andreas Schager, Arnold Bezuyen, Olafur Sigurdarson, Wilhelm Schwinghammer, Okka von der Damerau, Daniela Köhler, and Alexandra Steiner.