The Bayreuth Festival, one of Germany’s most celebrated cultural events, will see a significant reduction in its budget.

According to reports, the Society of Friends of Bayreuth has decided to cut its contribution to the festival by almost one million euros starting in 2024.

The Society, which has been providing three million euros to the festival each year, made the announcement during a meeting of the Board of Directors.

Georg Freiherr von Waldenfels, the Chairperson of the Board, declined to comment on the matter, stating it was an internal meeting.

The festival head, Katharina Wagner, and the festival manager, Ulrich Jagels, have also not made any statements despite requests from the German Press Agency.

In response to the news, Claudia Roth, the Minister of State for Culture, has called for a unified effort to ensure the financial stability of the festival. “If the Society of Friends of Bayreuth can contribute significantly less to the financing, then everyone who is part of this whole complex must now act together,” she said.

Von Waldenfels has cautioned against any speculation on the financial stability of the Society of Friends of Bayreuth, saying that “any speculation about the financial situation of the Society of Friends of Bayreuth is out of thin air.”