On July 25, the Bayereuth Festival is set to open with a new production of “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.”

The production will be streamed on Deutsche Grammophon’s STAGE+ platform and will also have a delayed screening of the inaugural performance across Germany as part of the “Wagner im Kino” initiative. The July 25 premiere will also be televised on a delayed basis on July 27 on the German-language channel 3sat.

Additionally, the opening night will be broadcast live on German radio station BR-KLASSIK.

Daniele Gatti will make history as the fifth Italian conductor after Toscanini, De Sabata, Erede, and Sinopoli to open the prestigious festival. It will also mark Gatti’s second festival opening in Bayreuth, after his debut there in 2008 with “Parsifal.”

The cast will include Georg Zeppenfeld as Hans Sachs, Michael Nagy as Sixtus Beckmesser, Michael Spyres as Walther von Stolzing, and Christina Nilsson as Eva. Matthias Davids will direct with sets by Andrew D. Edwards, costumes by Susanne Hubrich, lighting by Fabrice Kebour, and choreography by Simon Eichenberger.

Read Related Stories 

• Bayreuth Festival Director Speaks Out About 2026 Cuts