Bayreuth is a city in northern Bavaria, Germany, bordered by the Red Main River in a valley between the Frankish Alb and the Fichtelgebirge. The city’s history dates back to 1194 and now serves as the capital of Upper Franconia with a population of 72,576.
In 1872 composer Richard Wagner moved to Bayreuth, where he resided until his death in 1883. Wagner’s villa, “Wahnfried,” was sponsored by King Ludwig II of Bavaria and converted into the Wagner Museum following World War II. The Bayreuth Festspielhaus, an opera house specially constructed for and exclusively devoted to the performance of Wagner’s operas, lies to the north of Bayreuth. The opera house presented the debuts of Wagner’s Ring Cycle and Parsifal.
Every summer, Wagner’s operas are performed at the Festspielhaus during the month-long Richard Wagner Festival, commonly known as the Bayreuth Festival. The festival attracts thousands of attendees each year and has consistently sold out since its 1876 debut. Currently, waiting lists for tickets span more than ten years.
Photo courtesy of the Festspielhaus website.
Photo courtesy of the Festspielhaus website.
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