2025 is an important year for Austria. It marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation from National Socialism and the establishment of the Second Republic, and we are also celebrating 70 years of the State Treaty. but 1945 and 1955 are also crucial dates in the history of the Vienna State Opera: On March 12, 1945, bombs hit the building on the Ring, large parts burned out and it took 24 hours to extinguish the fire. Just two months after the destruction, emergency artistic operations were made possible in the Volksoper and later also in the Theater an der Wiener. Meanwhile, the Haus am Ring was rebuilt. The parties in the provisional government of 1945, consisting of the ÖVP, SPÖ and KPÖ, unanimously supported the reconstruction plan. The ceremonial reopening took place on November 5, 1955. After a ceremony in the morning with a lot of politics, Beethoven's Fidelio, "the" opera about unjust rule and liberation through love, was performed in the evening. And the performance became a symbol of a new Austria. Those who were not there were able to listen in via loudspeakers, 40 radio stations from all over the world broadcast the performance, and at the same time Austrian live television was born: people crowded into halls and inns - because who had a TV set at home in 1955 - to at least be there via television.

The fact that the new director of the Vienna State Opera, conductor Karl Böhm, had also been the last director during the Nazi era was kept quiet. The fact that Hans Tietjen, the director of Fidelio, was just as much a Nazi artist as Rudolf Eisenmenger, who was allowed to design the Iron Curtain and for whom great names such as Fritz Wotruba were passed over - that too was not mentioned. Like about many and many other things. in 1955, the Vienna State Opera was therefore a symbol for many things - for freedom, dedication, passion, identity. And unfortunately also for the highly questionable way in which Austria at the time dealt with its immediate past.

For the first time in the history of the house and also in remembrance of the years 1945 and 1955 , we are therefore opening the season with a large open-air opera festival. A first-class opera air concert awaitsyou in Vienna's Burggarten- with Elīna Garanča, Sonya Yoncheva, Jonas Kaufmann, Benjamin Bernheim and Boris Pinkhasovich, among others, as well as the Vienna State Opera Chorus and Orchestra. Bertrand de Billy conducts. And best of all: admission is free! And - as in 1955 - television will also be there: ORF III will broadcast live, time-shifted from 8.15 pm.

The concert will then be available for three months on ORF.ON.
Starting on September 18, the full concert will also be available on Arte Concert. A broadcast of a slightly shortened version of the concert will air on ARTE on October 12 and will already be available on arte.tv from October 5. Both versions will be accessible in the ARTE mediatheque for one year following the first broadcast.

The concert will take place on September 7, 2025 at 7 pm in the Burggarten in Vienna. The stage will be located on the side of the Palmenhaus, in the left corner towards the National Library. A large area around the stage will be defined as an event area. This is fenced off within the Burggarten.

No, you don't need a ticket, admission is free.

The program will be published on our website at the end of August.

The Burggarten itself is open to park visitors throughout the day, but admission to the event area itself is only from 18:00. The concert starts at 19:00.

It is best to use the Burggarten entrances on the Ringstrasse side or the one by the Welt-Museum. The entrances to the event area will be marked by flags.

In the unlikely event that there are too many people in the park at once, we reserve the right to temporarily block access.

Yes, ORF III will broadcast live, time-shifted from 8.15 pm. The concert will then be available for three months on ORF.ON.

Starting on September 18, the full concert will also be available on Arte Concert. A broadcast of a slightly shortened version of the concert will air on ARTE on October 12 and will already be available on arte.tv from October 5. Both versions will be accessible in the ARTE mediatheque for one year following the first broadcast.

There will be no catering on the site itself. However, you are welcome to bring your own food and drinks. However, we ask for your understanding that glass bottles are not permitted and ask you to dispose of any waste or residual waste in the bins provided.

No, there are no seats for the audience at this concert and generally no assigned seats. You can either sit in the meadow or stand.

Yes, the concert will take place in all weathers, including rain. However, should there be a storm or thunderstorm that endangers the safety of the audience and the artists, the concert would have to be canceled.

No, umbrellas are not permitted. Should it rain, we kindly ask you to wear rain jackets or raincoats.

No, unfortunately it is not permitted to bring stools, benches, chairs or other seating for safety reasons.

No, there is no dress code. We recommend casual clothing, but above all comfortable shoes that are suitable for meadows. We do not recommend high heels.

You are welcome to bring a bag or rucksack, but not larger than A4 format. Larger containers that cannot be seen are not permitted.

No, there are no checkrooms at the concert. Therefore, please only take clothing and items that are permitted on the premises.

No, riding bicycles, scooters or e-bikes is prohibited on the event grounds.

No, baby carriages are not permitted on the event grounds for safety reasons. Please also note that the concert is not an explicit event for children.

No, dogs or other animals are not permitted.

Ja, es werden mobile Toiletten zur Verfügung stehen.

No, filming the concert is not permitted for copyright reasons.

No, smoking or vaping is not permitted for safety reasons and out of consideration for other visitors.