Two magnificent open-air opera performances: Der Freischütz and Der fliegende Holländer
Waiting for Der Freischütz Bregenzer Festspiele, Bregenz (7 August 2025) Waiting for Der fliegende Holländer Oper im Steinbruch , St. Margarethen (8 August 2025) If there is another country in the world besides Italy where opera is held in such high esteem today, it must be Austria. Much like in Italy, opera reaches the masses in Austria during the summer months through open-air festivals. Around the same time as the Salzburg Festival — the oldest and arguably the world's most prestigious performing arts organisation — two open-air opera festivals take place in July and August, this year one for the 79th time and the other for the 29th: Bregenzer Festspiele (Bregenz Festival) and Oper im Steinbruch (Opera in the Quarry), formerly known as Opernfestspiele St. Margarethen (St. Margarethen Opera Festival). Both festivals boast exceptional venues: the first is on the water, on the shores of Lake Constance; the second is in the countryside, in a Roman-era quarry at t...