About
The Oper Burg Gars 2026 festival invites audiences to experience opera beneath the stars in the romantic setting of Burg Gars, one of Austria's oldest castle ruins. From 11 July to 1 August 2026, the historic fortress overlooking the Kamp Valley once again becomes an open-air stage, where exceptional music, dramatic storytelling, and the unique atmosphere of medieval architecture combine to create an unforgettable summer evening.
The centrepiece of the 2026 season is Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly, one of the most moving works in the operatic repertoire. Directed by Matthias von Stegmann and conducted by Karsten Januschke, the new production brings fresh dramatic insight to Puccini's timeless story of love, devotion, and betrayal. Against the spectacular backdrop of Burg Gars, the opera gains an added sense of intimacy and emotional depth.
The festival assembles an impressive cast of internationally active singers. The title role is performed by Kristiane Kaiser and Eugenia Dushina, while Gabriel Arce and Vitaliy Kovalchuk share the role of Pinkerton. The production also features Paolo Rumetz as Sharpless, Daria Sushkova as Suzuki, Evgeny Solodovnikov as Bonze, and Christian Drescher as Goro. Festival Artistic Director Clemens Unterreiner joins the cast as Sharpless for the final three performances, adding another highlight to the season.
Beyond the main opera production, the festival's KulturBURG programme enriches the summer with song recitals, chamber concerts, musical readings, and special gala events. Among the confirmed guest artists are celebrated Wagner tenor Andreas Schager, soprano Daniela Fally, violinist Lidia Baich, pianist Stefan Vladar, violinist Bojidara Kouzmanova-Vladar, baritone Peter Edelmann, countertenor Alois Mühlbacher, and soprano Martha Matscheko.
What makes Oper Burg Gars especially appealing is its atmosphere. Rather than a traditional opera house, performances unfold within the historic castle walls, where sunset gradually gives way to a star-filled sky and the surrounding landscape becomes part of the stage itself. This unique setting enhances every performance and offers audiences a memorable way to experience opera in the heart of Lower Austria.
The Oper Burg Gars 2026 combines a beloved Puccini masterpiece, an outstanding international cast, and one of Austria's most atmospheric open-air venues. It is an ideal destination for opera lovers seeking exceptional performances in a setting where history, nature, and music come together with effortless elegance.
About the Oper Burg Gars
At the end of the 1980s, and in 1990 the first major opera production was realized in Burg Gars. From then on, under the direction of the director and manager Karel Drgáč, the opera was performed every summer under the name “Opern-Air” in Gars Castle.
In 2012 there was a reorganization; Burg Gars GmbH, meanwhile wholly owned by the market town of Gars am Kamp, was founded as the sponsoring company and took over responsibility for what was going on in the castle.
In 2013, Dr. Johannes Wildner, one of the leading Austrian conductors, is the artistic director of the festival. The former director of the Vienna Volksoper, Rudolf Berger, completed the new tour as managing director. The new directorship started in Gars 2014 with “Der Freischütz” by Carl Maria von Weber, followed by “Don Carlo” in 2015, “Otello” in 2016, “Die Zauberflöte” in 2017, “Tosca” in 2018 and “Fidelio” in 2019.
Thanks to a clear positioning, the highest artistic demands and Johannes Wildner's incomparable enthusiasm, since 2014 more and more viewers have been able to attract more audiences to the Waldviertel Opera House. With the number of visitors growing from year to year, the importance of the castle as a summer venue also increased. The program was expanded to include a wide variety of concerts, exhibitions, readings and cabaret evenings. The season now ranges from the wine blessing on Easter Monday to the Babenberger Festival on November 15, with a special focus on offers for children.
