Opera Festivals in St. Margarethen

Monumental opera at the Roman quarry

Fans of opulent performances have been flocking to these Opera Festivals in St. Margarethen since 1996. The festivals take place each year in July and August against the unique natural backdrop of the Roman quarry which was listed as a World Heritage Site in 2001.

The Roman quarry in St. Margarethen is one of the oldest stone quarries in Europe. This magnificent open-air stage welcomes thousands of opera fans each year and has been created in part of the Roman quarry.

The Opera Festivals in St. Margarethen – a natural and cultural experience

The perfect infrastructure for a modern festival has been created thanks to financial input from the Esterházy private foundation. Special attention has been paid to carefully integrating the structure into the unique natural landscape: visitors can enjoy the Oriental flair of the Roman quarry’s high walls and the vast expanse of the area where the opera performances are held.

Opera Festivals in St. Margarethen in the Burgenland

Over the past few years, the Opera Festivals in St. Margarethen have continually impressed with their large-scale opera performances at the Roman quarry in St. Margarethen. Find out about the current schedule and prices at http://www.arenaria.at as well as http://www.esterhazy.at

You can find information about the latest events here.

Opera in St. Margarethen: Rigoletto from Giuseppe Verdis

The story of the court jester Rigoletto and his daughter Gilda is as gripping as a mystery novel and as tragic as almost any other opera plot. Rigoletto is the court jester to the Duke of Mantua, a notorious womanizer. The jester constantly mocks the Duke’s victims—their cuckolded husbands and horrified fathers—humiliating them with biting sarcasm. The Count of Monterone, father of one of the Duke’s victims, curses the jester for his malice. And when Rigoletto then suggests to the courtiers that they kidnap Count Ceprano’s wife for the Duke, they are horrified and seek to teach the malicious jester a lesson. Instead, they kidnap Rigoletto’s supposed mistress, who is in fact his daughter. The court jester searches for his daughter Gilda and finds her at court. She confesses to having been seduced by the Duke. The jester, now seeing his own daughter stripped of her honor, resolves to have the Duke murdered. Sparafucile, the assassin hired by Rigoletto, tragically stabs Gilda to death, however, as she—driven by naive love—attempts to save the Duke. Thus, the curse of the Count of Monterone is finally fulfilled.

Performances: 14th July - 22nd August 2027
Starts: 8.30pm / Doors open: 6.30pm
Duration: approx. 2,45 hours (incl. intermission)

Previous Events

Tosca (2026)

Der fliegende Holländer (2025)

Aida (2024)

Carmen (2023)

Nabucco (2022)

Turandot (2021)

The Magic Flute (2019)

Rigoletto (2017)

Tosca was in 2015

and Konstantin Wecker 2014

and Carlos Santana 2013

Simply Red was in 2016:

The open-air stage in the Roman quarry is within easy reach by car: there is plenty of free parking available on the festival site. The performances are held in any weather: make sure you bring warm clothing and waterproofs.

The team at the 'Das Schmidt' hotel are happy to help you purchase tickets for the cultural events, of course also for the Lake Festival Mörbisch. Stay at the 4-star independent hotel 'Das Schmidt' in Moerbisch by Lake Neusiedl and savour the unique atmosphere of the Opera Festivals in St. Margarethen. Send a non-binding holiday enquiry now.