Opera highlight in the Burggarten: 7,000 visitors celebrate the summer!

Opera highlight in the Burggarten: 7,000 visitors celebrate the summer!

In a magical evening full of music and emotions, almost 7,000 classical music fans flocked to the Burggarten on September 7, 2025 to experience the impressive “Opern Air” of the Vienna State Opera. With free admission, the State Opera Orchestra under the musical direction of Bertrand de Billy offered a rousing program of arias and duets in which well-known artists such as Elina Garanca, Jonas Kaufmann, Sonya Yoncheva and Benjamin Bernheim performed. Thunderous applause rewarded the artists for their outstanding performances, led by an enthusiastic audience who followed the performance spellbound and transformed the beautifully landscaped castle garden into a concert hall. The concert was broadcast live on ORF III, which further expanded the reach of this special event. In the words of State Opera Director Bogdan Roscic: It is of great importance that the opera house is open again and such high-profile events can take place. Today reports that …

In 2025, Vienna will celebrate several historic anniversaries that are of great importance for the city and the country. This marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation from National Socialism and the State Treaty is 70 years old. These anniversaries not only invite reflection but also a celebration of freedom and cultural identity. The Vienna State Opera in particular played a special role in this context, as it was an important sign of Austria's new beginning after the chaos of war. On November 5, 1955, the State Opera reopened - an event that was accompanied by a celebratory feeling for many people across the country as Beethoven's "Fidelio" was broadcast into visitors' living rooms via 40 broadcasters. Wiener Staatsoper attaches great importance to the historical anchoring of such performances, which embody the tradition and artistic spirit of the institution.

An eventful story

The Vienna State Opera has an eventful history that dates back to the opening of the imposing building in 1869. The building, based on plans by August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Nüll, was realized by Josef Hlávka and is considered a masterpiece in the neo-Renaissance style. But public opinion was mixed - many called the opera house a "sunken box". After severe bomb damage in the Second World War, the building not only became a symbol of cultural identity, but also of the country's regained freedom. The accelerated reconstruction, which received new impetus with an architectural competition, ultimately resulted in the ceremonial reopening in 1955. Vienna State Opera tells this moving story of passion and dedication that made the house one of the leading opera houses in the world.

The city of Vienna is proud of its cultural treasures, and events like “Opern Air” impressively show how lively and inviting the Viennese music scene is. With outstanding artists and a passionate audience, the State Opera looks forward to a bright future that remains closely linked to history.