“Staatsoper für alle” 2026: More than 30,000 visitors attended the live screening of “Nabucco” and the open-air concert by the Staatskapelle Berlin on Bebelplatz. An unforgettable weekend to mark the 20th edition – free admission thanks to BMW.

Berlin. Under sunny skies, Berlin’s Bebelplatz was once again transformed into a musical festival venue at the weekend: more than 30,000 visitors attended the 20th edition of “Staatsoper für alle” – the premier open-air event organised by the Staatsoper Unter den Linden and its long-standing partner BMW. With the live broadcast of Giuseppe Verdi’s “Nabucco” and the concert by the Staatskapelle Berlin under Christian Thielemann, the audience was treated to two extraordinary open-air musical events – with free admission.

On Saturday evening, the live broadcast from the Staatsoper of Giuseppe Verdi’s “Nabucco”, conducted by Francesco Lanzillotta and featuring Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar, Lidia Fridman, Tareq Nazmi, Elena Maximova, Andrés Moreno García, Clara Nadeshdin, Junho Hwang und Hanseong Yun in the title roles, thrilled audiences both in the auditorium and on the open-air big screen on Bebelplatz. On Sunday morning, the Children’s Opera Orchestra, together with members of the International Opera Studio and the Staatsoper’s Youth Choir, opened the musical programme under the baton of Giuseppe Mentuccia with works by Jacques Offenbach and Jules Massenet. Afterwards, the Staatskapelle Berlin, conducted by General Music Director Christian Thielemann, drew enthusiastic cheers from the audience on Bebelplatz with Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68 (“Pastoral”), as well as his overtures to “Coriolan” and “Egmont”.

“Now in its 20th year, 'Staatsoper für alle' demonstrates just how unifying music can be and the special power that lies in making opera and concerts freely accessible to everyone right in the heart of Berlin. It fills me with great joy that Bebelplatz has once again been transformed into a vibrant venue for shared cultural experiences and has delighted so many Berliners and visitors from all over the world. My heartfelt thanks go to all the artists, staff, our partner BMW and our wonderful audience,” said Intendant of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden Berlin, Elisabeth Sobotka.

Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, People and Real Estate: “The 20th 'Staatsoper für alle' weekend has once again transformed Bebelplatz into a stage for shared experiences. Thousands of music lovers came together to celebrate the timeless relevance of opera with 'Nabucco'. Moments like these reveal the true power of culture: it inspires, connects and brings joy. This special experience reinforces our commitment at BMW – and we are already looking forward to the coming anniversary year with you all.”

As in previous years, the open-air event was held under the patronage of Berlin’s Governing Mayor, Kai Wegner, who, on Saturday evening, joined Elisabeth Sobotka, Intendant of the Staatsoper, and Nina Englert, Head of the BMW Group’s Berlin branch, in welcoming the audience to the 20th edition of this major musical event on Bebelplatz. On Sunday, the State Secretary for Culture, Ms Cerstin Richter-Kotowski, together with Elisabeth Sobotka and Nina Englert, addressed the tens of thousands of spectators from Berlin and around the world. Journalist and presenter Petra Gute guided the audience through the programme on both days with her knowledgeable and charming commentary. Numerous prominent guests from the worlds of culture and society were also among the audience at “Staatsoper für alle”, including Kostja Ullmann (actor), Michael Michalsky (designer) and Klara Lange (actress).

The opera performance was broadcast live on rbb radio3, whilst the concert by the Staatskapelle Berlin was streamed live on staatsoper-berlin.de and aired on rbb television. Both the radio broadcast of “Nabucco” and the television broadcast of the Staatskapelle concert are available in the ARD media library.

Save the date: On 4 July 2026, “Oper für alle” will take place in Munich, featuring a live broadcast of Richard Wagner’s “Die Walküre”, directed by Tobias Kratzer and conducted by Vladimir Jurowski.

Next year, “Staatsoper für alle” will take place on 12 and 13 June 2027 at Bebelplatz.

The BMW Group's Cultural Engagement, with exclusive updates and deeper insights into its global initiatives can be followed on Instagram at @BMWGroupCulture.