All set for a full house at the 2021 Bregenz Festival - Joy and relief

Bregenz, 1.6.21. New regulations by the Austrian government make it possible – Rigoletto and all other productions of the 2021 Bregenz Festival can go ahead without restrictions on audience capacity. All visitors to the festival will have to be either vaccinated, recovered or to have tested negative; there will be checks to monitor compliance on the plaza in front of the Festspielhaus on evenings when there are performances. 

Things are looking up, whether we’re talking about at the captive balloon that was reinstalled today on the Lake Stage, or about the festival season. All productions can go ahead; no seats have to remain empty. President of the festival Hans-Peter Metzler welcomed the decision by the Austrian federal government: “We now have positive overall conditions for a season full of artistic highlights. In frequent consultation with the government of the state of Vorarlberg we explored how to reconcile the enjoyment of culture with safety.” Metzler said how much he appreciated Vorarlberg premier Markus Wallner for his commitment and for close cooperation on a basis of trust.

Culture in high demand
“The ground has now been prepared for the 75th anniversary of the Bregenz Festival and for an unforgettable summer,” commented artistic director Elisabeth Sobotka. “We’re particularly happy that the Rigoletto clown’s head will be back with us for another season. And many artists we have ties with are returning to Bregenz. For me, that’s a clear sign of their high regard for this festival and a big compliment to the whole team.”

Since it was announced last Friday that the restrictions would be eased considerably from 1 July, demand has risen noticeably at the Ticket Center. “Many have reacted directly to this positive decision,” reports Commercial Director Michael Diem.

Detailed safety measures
The Bregenz Festival is currently working on a comprehensive prevention plan that is expected to be in place by the end of the month. What is clear already is that only people who have been vaccinated, have recovered or have tested negative will be admitted to events. They will be able to enter the Festspielhaus plaza through four checkpoints, access being restricted on evenings when there is a performance of Rigoletto.

In its 75th jubilee season the Bregenz Festival is presenting a kaleidoscope of events with familiar favourites and a great deal that’s new. It opens on 21 July 2021 with the premiere of Nero, the opera at the Festspielhaus. The next day the curtain goes up on Rigoletto, which is returning to the Lake Stage for its second run. In all, 115,000 tickets have been sold so far, with 65,000 more tickets booked. Tickets are still available.

The 2021 Bregenz Festival runs from 21 July to 22 August. For tickets and information, visit www.bregenzerfestspiele.com or call 0043 5574 4076.

(tb)