Budapest Wagner Days

6-30 June 2025

June means it’s time for some Wagner And just as it has always done for nearly two decades – Müpa Budapest will once again be flinging open its doors to welcome not only fans of the great opera composer’s work, but also those who want to take this opportunity to get to know the world of the greatest creator of 19th-century musical drama, one full of secrets and discoveries to be made.

The programme for the 2025 Budapest Wagner Days festival offers four exciting productions over the course of five evenings, with both of the opera productions running twice. Opening the series will be Tannhäuser, a long-time favourite. The story of the minstrel caught in a struggle between heavenly and earthly love will be brought to life by such artists as Marco Jentzsch in the title role, Dorottya Láng as Venus and Lauri Vasar as Wolfram von Eschenbach. The conductor for Tannhäuser is the German master Michael Güttler, who has appeared in Europe’s top opera houses and frequently takes the baton for Wagner’s musical dramas.

Lovers of unforgettable voices are eagerly awaiting the second night, when Bryn Terfel, one of the greatest singers of our time, returns to Müpa Budapest. Famous for his versatility, among other things, the Welsh bass-baritone will this evening be focusing on a single theme: passages from Wagner. At his concert, we will encounter Hans Sachs from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Wolfram von Eschenbach from Tannhäuser, Wotan from Die Walküre and the title character of Der fliegende Holländer.

The third evening will be a legendary triumph: anyone who witnessed Bo Skovhus’s Beckmesser in Meistersinger is sure to return in 2025 to repeat the unforgettable experience. Joining the Danish baritone on stage will be singers like Eric Cutler (Walther von Stolzing), Polina Pasztircsák (Eva) and Cornel Frey (David).

Last, but no least, the experience will be crowned by a sumptuous selection of Wagner’s most popular melodies, arias and orchestral interludes. The festival’s creative director and the evening’s conductor Ádám Fischer looks forward to welcoming both Wagner fanatics and those encountering him for the first time with his Heroes and Heroines production, and he will be joined in doing so by Daniela Köhler, Dorottya Láng, Zoltán Nyári, Tivadar Kiss and the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra.