The Bavarian State Opera in Munich has opened its new season after partial renovation and a slight delay. Director Serge Dorny highlighted the timely completion of the works, while Culture Minister Markus Blume praised the investment of 13 million euros over twelve weeks. The season is themed around a Sartre quote and promises exciting new productions.
Freshly partially renovated and with a slight delay, the Bavarian State Opera in Munich has launched its new 2025/26 season. At the traditional stage dinner for the season opening in the Nationaltheater, director Serge Dorny said: «We managed to finish on time».
Bavaria's Culture Minister Markus Blume (CSU) summarized the renovation efforts: «13 million in twelve weeks invested». He described it as a «cultural boost after the summer break» and admitted to skipping the evening Landtag session for it. He jokingly called the luxurious multi-course menu with singing and dance performances on stage – to which friends and patrons of the opera are invited – «intensive work», in case Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) should ask. «Everything is in the right place», Blume concluded regarding the partial renovation.
The new season is themed around Jean-Paul Sartre's quote «Man is what he makes of himself». The real start comes next week with the opera «The English Cat». Later productions include new stagings of «The Night Before Christmas», «Faust», «Rigoletto», and Richard Wagner's «Die Walküre».
Serge Dorny asked: «What would our society be without art?» He emphasized that art holds people together in tough times: «Art creates community». The goal is to keep opera and ballet alive, make them accessible to a new, young audience, and «open doors to the next generations».