The new production opens tomorrow, 22 July, on the floating stage set on Lake Constance

All 28 performances scheduled for the 2026 edition have been sold out since Easter, with a total of 188,000 tickets sold

«The image I chose to summarise the story of La traviata is that of a broken mirror: it represents the destiny of a woman celebrated by a society that, at the same time, is the very society that destroys her». These are the words of Damiano Michieletto, who from 22 July to 23 August stages his first La traviata. The new production premieres at the Bregenzer Festspiele, the international opera festival renowned for its floating stage on Lake Constance, and marks the first staging of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera in the history of the festival. Presented over 28 performances for a total of 188,000 tickets, the production has been sold out since Easter 2026: this is the fastest sell-out achieved in the eighty-year history of the Bregenz Festival. The production will return in 2027 with the same number of performances and available seats, bringing the total number of tickets offered across the two editions to 376,000.

At the centre of the so-called “Seebühne” stands a monumental set designed by Paolo Fantin: a fragmented mirror whose large surfaces reflect the inner world of Violetta Valéry, suspended between the desire for glamour, longing and vulnerability. The musical direction is entrusted to Kirill Karabits, alternating with Pietro Rizzo. The costumes are by Carla Teti, lighting design by Alessandro Fantin, videos by Roland Horvath, choreography by Thomas Wilhelm, and sound design by Alwin Bösch and Clemens Wannemacher.

«Violetta is always at the centre of a party, which is why I chose to set the production in the 1920s, with a reference to the world of Fitzgerald and The Great Gatsby – continues Michieletto. It is a sparkling, hedonistic universe, constantly devoted to the celebration of life, but one in which nobody knows Violetta’s intimacy, suffering, pain and illness, which are central elements of this story». For the director, this production marks not only his first La traviata, but also his debut on the stage of the Bregenzer Festspiele, which – he emphasises – «requires a unique form of thinking and storytelling, in which the set must be able to speak for itself. Water becomes a fundamental dramaturgical element here, in constant dialogue with the stage action».

The role of Violetta Valéry is shared by Stacey Alleaume, Julia Muzychenko and Marjukka Tepponen; Alfredo Germont is performed by Julien Behr, Long Long and José Simerilla Romero; while Giorgio Germont is sung by Audun Iversen, Kostas Smoriginas and Vladimir Stoyanov.

After La traviata at the Bregenzer Festspiele, Michieletto will return on 7 December to Teatro alla Scala, where he will inaugurate the 2026/27 Season with a new production of Otello.

Info: https://bregenzerfestspiele.com/en/music-theatre/la-traviata

Photo credits: La traviata © Bregenzer Festspiele / Anja Koehler