Structure

The owner of the Bayreuth Festival Hall and its subsidiary buildings (rehearsal stages, workshops, restaurant) has been the Richard Wagner Foundation Bayreuth since 1973. It rents these properties to the Bayreuther Festspiele GmbH, founded in 1985.

Wording of the foundation deed:
https://www.wagnermuseum.de/museum/richard-wagner-stiftung-bayreuth/

Shareholders’ meeting of Bayreuther Festspiele GmbH

Ministerialrat Bernd Gallep, Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien, Vorsitzender
Dr. Georg Freiherr von Waldenfels, Gesellschaft der Freunde von Bayreuth e.V.
Oberbürgermeister Thomas Ebersberger, Stadt Bayreuth
Ministerialrat Dr. Rupert Dörfler, Bayerisches Staatsministerium der Finanzen und für Heimat,

Shareholders and their shares:

Board of Directors of Bayreuther Festspiele GmbH

Dr. Georg Freiherr von Waldenfels, Gesellschaft der Freunde von Bayreuth e.V., Vorsitzender
Ministerialdirigentin Angelika Kaus, Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Wissenschaft und Kunst
Ingo Mix, Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien
Minsterialrätin Milena Rudolph, Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien
Minsterialrätin Dr. Katrin Mattern, Bayerisches Staatsministerium der Finanzen und für Heimat
Ina Besser-Eichler, Gesellschaft der Freunde von Bayreuth e.V.
Oberbürgermeister Thomas Ebersberger, Stadt Bayreuth
Eva Christina Bär, Stadt Bayreuth

BF Medien GmbH is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bayreuther Festspiele GmbH. It was founded in 2008 to make Richard Wagner’s work here accessible to all interested parties. Thus, BF Medien GmbH annually produces an audio-visual production, which is broadcast live on television and in cinemas and is recorded on DVD. In cooperation with other partners, it is also implementing further projects within the framework of the festival.

The original idea of ​​Richard Wagner to operate the festival on a private scale proved to be impossible in the founding years. It was only with the successful commitment of the public sector to the Bayreuth Festival in 1953 that the annual performance was secured.

The budget of the Bayreuth Festival this year amounts to 27.751 million euros. The subsidy is regulated according to the company shares.

Budget composition

Total budget 2024: approx. 27.75 million euros (excluding restructuring costs)

Government grants:
Federal Republic of Germany approx. 3.9 million euros
Free State of Bavaria approx. 3.9 million euros
City of Bayreuth approx. 1.524 million euros
District Oberfranken 413,000 euros (as a voluntary service)

Contribution of the Society of Friends of Bayreuth e.V. approx. 2.4 million euros

Total grants: approx. 12.137 million euros

Of the total budget, the grants amount to approx. 44 %, the public sector approx. 35 %.

For further information see www.bundesanzeiger.de und www.unternehmensregister.de