Recorded: 1-6 April 2026

A new chapter in the history of the Salzburg Easter Festival has opened in 2026. 
Director Kirill Serebrennikov is staging a new, intercultural ”Ring”, and at the same time a return awaits us, that many observers have long expected and that others have eagerly longed for. From 2026 onwards the Berliner Philharmoniker will again be holding their traditional Easter Festival in Salzburg.  
Das Rheingold, the prelude to Richard Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen cycle, sets in motion a dark story of power and intrigue. Wagner’s music vividly depicts both the dramatic plot and the inner conflicts of the characters, with Christian Gerhaher appearing as Wotan for the first time.
Kirill Serebrennikov : “(…). My production will take place in a post-apocalyptic world in the wake of a major disaster. Humankind is slowly beginning to regenerate and is finding ways of going on living. This means discovering a new form of existence. »Das Rheingold« is set in a region that could be called Africa. The other three parts of the cycle will all take place in other parts of the world. Each will involve a different continent and a different culture. Wagner will be global."

Wagner: Das Rheingold from "Der Ring der Nibelungen"

Berliner Philharmoniker
Kirill Petrenko

Christian Gerhaher (Wotan), Gihoon Kim (Donner), Thomas Atkins (Froh), Brenton Ryan (Loge), Leigh Melrose (Alberich), Thomas Cilluffo (Mime), Patrick Guetti (Fafner), Le Bu  (Fasolt), Catriona Morison (Fricka), and more

Kirill Serebrennikov, production, set, costumes; The Recyle Group, sculptures; Sergey Kucher, light; Yurij Karikh, video; Slavna Martinovic, co-costume designer; Ivan Stegner, choreography; Daniil Orlov, dramaturgy

Length: 135'

4K/UHD

TV Director: Michael Beyer

Produced by EuroArts Music, ZDF, Mezzo

Progr. No.: 4950

For further information, please get in contact with the EuroArts team.