Das Rheingold staged by Kirill Serebrennikov

1–6 April from the Salzburg Easter Festival: the Berliner Philharmoniker returns with a new Wagner Ring Cycle.

A new chapter in the history of the Salzburg Easter Festival will be opened in 2026. Director Kirill Serebrennikov is staging a new, intercultural ”Ring”, and at the same time a return awaits us, that many observers have long expected and that others have eagerly longed for. From 2026 onwards the Berliner Philharmoniker will again be holding their traditional Easter Festival in Salzburg.

Das Rheingold, the prelude to Richard Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen cycle, sets in motion a dark story of power and intrigue. Wagner’s music vividly depicts both the dramatic plot and the inner conflicts of the characters, with Christian Gerhaher appearing as Wotan for the first time.

Kirill Serebrennikov : “(…). My production will take place in a post-apocalyptic world in the wake of a major disaster. Humankind is slowly beginning to regenerate and is finding ways of going on living. This means discovering a new form of existence. "Das Rheingold" is set in a region that could be called Africa. The other three parts of the cycle will all take place in other parts of the world. Each will involve a different continent and a different culture. Wagner will be global."

Kirill Serebrennikov, production, set, costumes; The Recyle Group, sculptures; Sergey Kucher, light; Yurij Karikh, video; Slavna Martinovic, co-costume designer; Ivan Stegner, choreography; Daniil Orlov, dramaturgy

Genre Opera
Recording location Salzburg Easter Festival, Felsenreitschule
Recording date 1-6 April 2026
Duration approx. 150'
Video format 4K/UHD
Production Company EuroArts Music, ZDF, Mezzo
TV Director Michael Beyer
Distribution TV EuroArts Music International
English title of music work Richard Wagner: Das Rheingold from "Der Ring der Nibelungen"
Orchestra / Band Berliner Philharmoniker
Conductor Kirill Petrenko
Soloists Christian Gerhaher (Wotan), Gihoon Kim (Donner), Thomas Atkins (Froh), Brenton Ryan (Loge), Leigh Melrose (Alberich), Thomas Cilluffo (Mime), Patrick Guetti (Fafner), Le Bu (Fasolt), Catriona Morison (Fricka), and more
Stage Director Kirill Serebrennikov