The gap between festival director Katharina Wagner and the circle of friends widens.
Now the sponsors have apparently announced that they will transfer less money.
This reveals a fundamental dispute.
A "Ring des Nibelungen" only in concert and perhaps with internet transmission;
in the Graben no longer the classical festival orchestra thrown together from all over the world, but a guest ensemble like the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra;
Canceled new productions: That would be the worst possible case for 2026, for the 150th anniversary of the Bayreuth Festival.
And all this because of the lack of money.
It doesn't have to happen that way.
But after the most recent meeting of the board of directors, there is a red alert on the Green Hill.
There, the association has apparently announced that it will transfer one million euros less from 2024.
Which would be fatal, since the complicated structures would mean that the other parties involved, such as the federal and state governments, would also pay less.
The Society of Friends of Bayreuth, as the powerful sponsors call themselves, contributes 2.5 to 3 million euros per year and holds 29 percent of the shares in the Festspiel-GmbH.
On request, its chairman Georg Freiherr von Waldenfels denied a cut that had been decided.
"We don't know yet whether we can raise a million less." A discussion about this at this point in time is "completely absurd".
At the same time, he points out that sponsors are not as willing as they used to be.
And: "The amount of donations also depends on the quality of the festival."
Traditionalists versus Katharina Wagner
A telltale phrase.
It documents that the gap between the sponsors and festival director Katharina Wagner is growing.
The circle of friends mainly consists of traditionalists who have little to do with the content preferences of the composer's great-granddaughter.
For example, with plans such as for the summer of 2023, computer glasses are to be distributed for the new “Parsifal”.
As reported, parts of the production take place in "Augmented Reality".
And it is said that some members of the Circle of Friends even resent the engagement of female conductors.
What can be heard from the non-public meeting of the board of directors, however, contradicts the account of Georg von Waldenfels.
It was even recorded that the friends of Bayreuth wanted to pay a million euros less, they say.
The federal and state governments have now understood that this confrontation could cause irreparable damage to the festival.
At the request of our newspaper, Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth called for a debate.
"If the Society of Friends of Bayreuth can contribute significantly less to the financing, then everyone who is part of this whole complex must now act together," said the Greens politician.
“Not only the federal government can do that, but Bavaria has to play a very decisive role.
This has to happen together.
Culture Minister Claudia Roth is pushing for talks
However, it is not just about the money.
"It is also a perspective for Bayreuth's management," says Roth.
“Everyone has to talk to each other and tackle things together.
Then I hope that there will be a good process with the Bavarian state government, with the city, with the district.” She also hopes that such challenges for culture will not be drawn into the Bavarian state election campaign.
(Almost) everyone involved agrees on one thing: The decision-making and financial structures, which go back to the former festival director and de facto sole ruler Wolfgang Wagner, should be changed.
No other cultural institution has to deal with such a complicated system.
With a system in which the sponsors also have such a strong influence on the content.
"I had discussions with some of the shareholders about the structures," says Katharina Wagner.
"And I'm very happy about how positively these went."
She didn't want to say more to our newspaper on this subject.
However, the statement can be interpreted as follows: the federal government and the Free State would definitely be willing to change Bayreuth.
Only the festival friends are not (yet) ready for this.
A structural solution would be: The sponsors pay less, but lose influence, for example by correcting their share of 29 percent downwards.
Tariff increases are no longer compensated
Another major problem at the festival is that there is no longer any money for wage increases, so the budget remains frozen.
So new sources urgently need to be found here.
Bayreuth finances more than 50 percent of its needs from its own income, such as ticket sales, emphasizes commercial director Ulrich Jagels.
Compared to other theater and opera companies, this is a very high proportion.
Therefore, “discussions are being held with the shareholders with the aim of increasing sponsorship income”.
How quickly all this is happening now, a structural change and finding more private financiers, has an impact on the next festival rounds.
And whether the 2026 anniversary can be celebrated properly (among other things, there is even talk of a "Rienzi" premiere) - or just with a rump festival.
