History will be made this summer at the Bayreuth Festival as Richard Wagner’s Rienzi is performed at the Festspielhaus for the very first time in the Festival’s 150-year history.

Gabriela Scherer stars as Irene, the opera’s principal female role, in this landmark new production conducted by Nathalie Stutzmann and directed by Alexandra Szemerédy and Magdolna Parditka. She appears alongside Andreas Schager in the title role, with Jennifer Holloway as Adriano, Andreas Bauer Kanabas as Steffano Colonna, Michael Nagy as Paolo Orsini, Vitalij Kowaljow as Cardinal Raimondo, Matthias Steer as Baroncelli, Michael Kupfer-Radecky as Cecco Del Vecchio, and Victoria Randem (Ein Friedensbote).

The Swiss-born soprano returns to Bayreuth following her acclaimed portrayal of Gutrune in Götterdämmerung, a performance that earned her widespread critical praise.

Performances: July 26; August 3, 8, 14, 17, 19, 22, 24 and 26, 2026.