14 JULY – 22 AUGUST 2027
RIGOLETTO
14 JULY – 22 AUGUST 2027
Opera by Giuseppe Verdi
In the 2027 season, one of Giuseppe Verdi’s most beloved operas returns to the Opera in the Quarry of St. Margarethen. The rugged rocky landscape of the quarry offers a breathtaking backdrop for Verdi’s masterpiece.
The story of the court jester Rigoletto and his daughter Gilda is as thrilling as a crime novel and as tragic as almost any other operatic plot. Rigoletto is the jester of the Duke of Mantua, a notorious womanizer. The jester constantly mocks the Duke’s victims, their cuckolded husbands, and their horrified fathers. He humiliates them with biting ridicule. Count Monterone, the father of one of the Duke’s victims, curses the jester for his malice. And when Rigoletto then suggests to the courtiers that they abduct Count Ceprano’s wife for the Duke, they are appalled and seek to teach the malicious jester a lesson. Instead, they abduct Rigoletto’s supposed mistress, who is in fact his daughter.
The jester searches for his daughter Gilda and finds her again at court. She confesses that she has been seduced by the Duke. Seeing his own daughter robbed of her honor, the jester resolves to have the Duke murdered. Sparafucile, the assassin hired by Rigoletto, tragically ends up stabbing Gilda instead – she, driven by naïve love, tries to save the Duke. Thus, Count Monterone’s curse is ultimately fulfilled.
Aida 2024
INFORMATION & DATES
RIGOLETTO
by Giuseppe Verdi
Direction and stage design: Thaddeus Strassberger
Musical direction: Valerio Galli
Costumes: Giuseppe Palella
In Italian with German supertitles
St. Margarethen Quarry
Premiere: Wednesday, 14 July 2027
Starts July: 8.30 pm / doors open: 6.30 pm
Starts August: 8.00 pm / doors open: 6.00 pm
Running time: ca. 3 hours (incl. intermission)
Tickets: starting from € 21,80
July 2027 August 2027
Wed 14 July, Premiere Thu 5 August
Thu 15 July Fri 6 August
Fri 16 July Sat 7 August
Sat 17 July Sun 8 August
Thu 22 July Thu 12 August
Fri 23 July Fri 13 August
Sat 24 July Sat 14 August
Wed 28 July Sun 15 August
Thu 29 July Fri 20 August
Fri 30 July Sat 21 August
Sat 31 July Sun 22 August
PRICES B2B
All prices include taxes and fees. Shipping costs excluded. Terms and Conditions apply.
Ticket sales
Box Office pan.event GmbH
Esterházyplatz 4, 7000 Eisenstadt
T + 43 2682 65 0 65–865 gruppen@panevent.at
STAGE TOUR
Impressive stage sets and opulent special effects inspire our visitors every year. Our stage tours provide exlusive insights behind the scenes.
Exclusive stage tours for groups on all performance days (except premiere).
Starts July: 7.00 pm and 7.30 pm
Starts August: 6.30 pm and 7.00 pm
Running time: ca. 30 minutes
Individual rate: € 8,- per person
Group rate: € 7,- per person
BUS SHUTTLE
FROM VIENNA & EISENSTADT
From/to Vienna State Opera, Operngasse 8, 1010 Vienna
Departure July: 5 pm | August: 4.30 pm
Price: € 37,– per person (round trip)
From Eisenstadt train station, Bahnhofplatz 3, 7000 Eisenstadt
Departure July: 6.15 pm | August: 5.45 pm
Price: € 21,– per person (round trip)
Return journey: 20 minutes after the end of the performance
You will receive 10 % commission on the above prices for the bus shuttle.
ST. MARGARETHEN QUARRY
A MAGNIFICENT SETTING FOR UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCES
Embedded in the unique landscape of the Lake Neusiedl region, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the natural beauty of the St. Margarethen Quarry delights visitors worldwide.
Boasting a stage area of over 7,000 m 2 and an imposing rocky backdrop, it counts among the largest – and most beautiful –open-air arenas in Europe today. The quarry continues to enchant visitors with its combination of natural and manmade architecture. Outstanding stage directors and the great singers of our time have created unforgettable, inspiring opera performances in this impressive setting since 1996, attracting not only opera lovers from all over the world, but also a diverse, discerning audience eager for new experiences.
Lake Neusiedl
PLACES OF INTEREST AROUND THE QUARRY
Are you looking for other excursion destinations around your opera visit in the region? Discover Forchtenstein Castle with its legendary treasury, Esterházy Palace , Joseph Haydn‘s former place of work, including the castle park and classical orangery in Eisenstadt, the Renaissance gardens at Lackenbach Palace as well as the Esterházy winery in Trausdorf and the Bio-Landgut Esterhazy in Donnerskirchen.
The Esterhazy tourism team will be happy to advise you and provide you with insider tips and suggestions.
T +43 (0) 2682 63004 723 | groups@esterhazy.at | esterhazy.at
CULINARY DELIGHTS
A diverse culinary offering featuring regional specialities and international delicacies awaits you in the Foyer Park at the St. Margarethen quarry.
With Gerstner‘s opera lounge offer, you can transform your opera evening into an unforgettable experience of art, music, cuisine, architecture and wine.
In addition, you will find the restaurant ‘Zum Gogosch’ at the Bio-Landgut Esterhazy in Donnerskirchen in the immediate vicinity. Our products from our own farm and from the region form the basis for your individual group menu.
We would be happy to put together an exclusive offer for you.
SERVICE FOR SALES PARTNERS
BUS DRIVERS
All bus drivers receive a voucher for a free entry ticket as well as a discount voucher for our gastronomic offer in the Foyer Park.
BUS PARKING AREA
There are plenty of parking lots for buses free of charge. In 2019 we created a modern bus park with direct access to the festival site.
ACCESSIBLE SHUTTLE BUS TO THE FOYER PARK
People with disabilities or seniors can take the free shuttle bus from the main entrance to the Foyer Park. The bus is equipped for handicapped visitors and is operated by qualified staff. No booking required. The Festival arena is fitted with disabled toilets.
PROMOTION MATERIALS AND VISUALS
We provide you with free advertising material for in-house exhibitions, customer events, etc. Please order your required number of folders, posters (A4, A3) and image films at gruppen@panevent.at. Printable image material for your catalogue or website can be found in the download area at: www.operimsteinbruch.at/B2B
CONDITIONS FOR RESELLERS
EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT
25 % off full price when booking before 15 February 2027. Receive a complimentary tour guide ticket when purchasing at least 20 tickets for a single performance (subject to availability).
DISCOUNTS FOR TOURISTIC PARTNERS
Discount level I:
10 % off full price. Receive a complimentary tour guide ticket when purchasing at least 20 tickets for a single performance (subject to availability).
Discount level II:
15 % off full price when purchasing at least 40 tickets for a single performance. Additional complimentary tour guide ticket (subject to availability).
The discounts above cannot be combined with other discounts or special offers.
RESERVATIONS AND OPTIONS
Please send your reservation enquiries to gruppen@panevent.at. Bookings are made on a first-come first-served basis according to the number of seats available. Specific rows and places cannot be pre-selected. You will receive a confirmation of your reservation including the date when your option expires.
Please note that these reserved tickets will automatically go back on sale if you do not confirm in writing by the specified option date. The Festival management and the box office may extend or curtail the option date in special cases. There is no legal entitlement to secure an allocation of tickets or to extend the option date.
PAYMENT
Once you have confirmed your booking, you will receive an invoice by either email or mail. Payment can be made by bank transfer or with a credit card (VISA, Master Card – please provide credit card details when making a fixed booking).
Tickets that have not been paid by the assigned due date will be put back on sale and the seats will be allocated elsewhere. Only tickets that have been paid will be sent to you by post.
All prices are inclusive of taxes and fees. Cost of postage is charged separately.
EXCHANGES AND RETURNS
Please note that tickets that are fixed and paid for cannot be cancelled or changed. Changes to the programme and the cast do not entitle ticket holders to return or exchange their tickets. If a performance is sold out, tickets may be returned for sale without guarantee on a consignment basis. The consignment fee is 20 % of the ticket price. If a ticket is resold, the balance is paid at the end of the Festival.
ENTRY TO THE FESTIVAL GROUNDS
All visitors must hold a ticket valid for that day. Please note that with the exception of guide dogs, dogs are not allowed inside the Festival grounds.
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND TICKET REFUND
The performances in St. Margarethen Quarry are staged open-air. In the event of bad weather, performances may continue. We therefore urge our guests to wear warm, rainproof garments and sturdy shoes if the weather forecast is bad. Performances are never cancelled before the starting time and cancellations are at the sole discretion of the Festival management.
The Festival management reserves the right to delay the start or interrupt the performance due to weather conditions. If a performance is cancelled by the event organizer before 45 minutes of the opera have been performed, tickets can be returned to the advance ticket vendor where they were purchased. The ticket price will be refunded by the event organizer exclusive of postage costs and other charges. For organizational reasons, it is not possible to refund the ticket price on site at the venue’s ticket offices or in the box office.
Event organizer
SBS Opernbetrieb Burgenland GmbH
Esterházyplatz 5 7000 Eisenstadt, Österreich
www.operimsteinbruch.at
Media owner: SBS Opernbetrieb Burgenland GmbH, manufacturer: Druckzentrum Eisenstadt GmbH, place of manufacture: 7000 Eisenstadt, place of publication: 7000 Eisenstadt. Misprints, errors and changes reserved. As of January 2026