© 2026 Ring Festival
In November 2026, the Paris Opera will present two complete cycles of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen as part of a 'Ring Festival'. In addition to performances of the tetralogy's four operas, the Parisian institution has planned a variety of other events. Tickets are now on sale, with several passes and options available for festival-goers.
For opera lovers, Der Ring des Nibelungen stands out as a work of lyrical excess: four parts (the prologue to Das Rheingold, followed by the three days of Die Walküre, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung), 34 characters, and over 15 hours of music exploring universal themes such as love and death, power and corruption, nature, destiny, and redemption. The well-known plot was written by Richard Wagner himself and draws inspiration from Germanic and Scandinavian myths. The Nibelung Alberich steals the gold of the Rhine Maidens to forge a magic ring that will give its owner supreme power. The god of gods, Wotan, steals it from him treacherously, and in revenge, Alberich curses him: whoever possesses the Ring will be doomed to misfortune and death! Wagner's tetralogy is a colossal epic fresco, and each new production is a significant event for any opera house, even one as prestigious as the Opéra national de Paris.
The Paris Opera is now hosting a new complete cycle of Der Ring des Nibelungen, which has not been performed there since 2013 when Günter Krämer staged it.
The Ring of the Nibelung directed by Calixto Bieito
This new Parisian production of The Ring of the Nibelung is therefore an event in more ways than one. Pablo Heras-Casado, a conductor specialising in the Wagnerian repertoire who performs regularly in Bayreuth, is in charge of the musical direction. The staging is by Calixto Bieito: a remarkable theatre craftsman, the Spanish director can captivate or sometimes annoy, but never leaves his audience indifferent. According to Alexander Neef, the Opéra national de Paris's director, opera needs today's artists to showcase, breathe life into, and reinterpret the works of the past — and this is precisely what Bieito has set out to do. The director has taken the major themes of the Ring to embrace the challenges of our contemporary world.
In Das Rheingold, the prologue, the director pits 'those above' (the gods and men who think they are gods) against 'those below' (notably Alberich, played by Brian Mulligan), who are both disturbing and equally aspire to wealth and power. For Calixto Bieito, today, power comes from new technologies and belongs to those who exploit our data to 'create a new god'. He asks: what place is left for humanity in a world ruled by technology and artificial intelligence? In Die Walküre, the first day of the Nibelung, humanity and the love of twins Sieglinde and Siegmund (Elza van den Heever and Stanislas de Barbeyrac) take centre stage. According to Bieito, this is an 'emotional apocalypse', which arouses the wrath of Fricka (Éve-Maud Hubeaux) and prompts the Valkyrie Brünnhilde (Tamara Wilson) to take sides in a conflict that escalates into total war. According to the director, 'Die Walküre tells us everything about all wars, chaos, and the destruction of the entire world'. Wotan's favourite daughter becomes a rebellious one, and the heroes of the tetralogy undergo major developments in Siegfried, and then in Götterdämmerung.
The Paris Opera's ‘Ring Festival 2026’
The Ring of the Nibelung is a saga in every sense of the word. To fully appreciate ‘Wagner's great theatre of the world’, the Paris Opera is planning a ‘Ring Festival’ in 2026: after staging the four operas of the Ring Cycle during the 2024/25, 2025/26 and 2026/27 seasons (Das Rheingold in early 2025, followed by the three Nibelung operas, Die Walküre in November 2025, Siegfried in January 2026, and finally Götterdämmerung in the autumn of next year), two complete cycles of the four Ring operas will be presented successively in November 2026:
First series:
- Friday 6 November 2026: Das Rheingold
- Saturday, 7 November 2026: Die Walküre
- Tuesday, 10 November 2026: Siegfried
- Friday, 13 November 2026: Götterdämmerung
Second series:
- Sunday, 15 November 2026: Das Rheingold
- Tuesday, 17 November 2026: Die Walküre
- Thursday, 19 November 2026: Siegfried
- Sunday, 22 November 2026: Götterdämmerung
To emphasise the scope of the project, the Paris Opera's 'RING 2026' event forms part of a 'festival'. Alongside the two complete cycles of the Ring (four performances over the course of a week for each cycle), the institution will also host dedicated events as part of a 'tailor-made cultural programme'. To enhance the festival experience, 'gourmet breaks' will be offered during the first intermissions of Die Walküre, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung in each cycle. These breaks are sure to encourage interaction between festival-goers.
To help audiences better understand Wagner's work, there will be introductions to each performance and the Paris Opera will host conferences on the Ring Cycle, covering its quasi-cinematic universe, political and social dimensions, staging challenges and how Wagner's music defines his heroes and their evolution. An exhibition on 'The Ring Revolution' will also be held at the Palais Garnier alongside the festival from October 2026 to February 2027. It will bring together 'items from the collections of the National Library of France, museums, and private collections' to highlight 'the cultural and political context in which the Ring took root, its formal characteristics, the challenges of staging it, and its legacy in the arts'.
Ticket office opens: the ‘RING Passes’
The ticket office for the 2026 Ring Festival opens at noon on 12 November. The Paris Opera is offering several 'RING Passes' that include tickets to all four performances of the Ring Cycle, access to various festival events and refreshments during the first intermissions. The Wotan and Freia passes are particularly noteworthy.
The Wotan RING Pass
In addition to tickets for the four operas of the Ring Cycle, the Wotan RING Pass allows you to enjoy all the benefits of the festival. It includes:
- Access to introductions to each performance;
- Priority access to the series of lectures on 'The Ring of the Nibelung';
- A gourmet break during the first intermissions of 'Die Walküre', 'Siegfried' and 'Götterdämmerung';
- Free admission to the 'La Révolution du Ring' exhibition at the Palais Garnier (by reservation only);
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A six-month subscription to POP – Paris Opera Play, the Paris Opera's streaming platform (from 6 November 2026), allowing you to watch and rewatch certain performances by the institution online.
- As well as: Paris Opera subscriber status, granting priority booking for season tickets and performances for the 2026/27 season, as well as reduced rates for guided tours of the Opéra Bastille and purchases in the shop (10% off) and bookshop (5% off), and at the BeauCoco restaurant in the Palais Garnier. This status also offers free ticket exchanges, payment facilities, and offers from Paris Opera partners.
The price of the RING Wotan Pass depends on the performance ticket category and purchase date: the first 300 purchasers of a Wotan Pass will benefit from a 10% discount, with prices starting at €224 for Category 8 seats on the second balcony and up to €972 for the best seats (Optima, in the front rows of the orchestra). This price is valid until 31 January 2026 and is limited to the first 300 purchasers.
The Freia Ring Pass: one price for under-28s
The Paris Opera has long had an accessibility policy, particularly for young audiences, and reserves seats for under-28s. The Freia RING Pass offers these spectators a single price of €120. This includes seats for all four operas of the Ring Cycle (category 8) as well as all the benefits of the RING Pass, such as introductions to the performances, free admission to the La Révolution du Ring exhibition at the Palais Garnier, a gourmet snack during the interval and a six-month subscription to the POP platform.
The Freia Pass also includes 'young subscriber' status, granting priority access to bookings for the 26/27 season and offering discounts and deals from the Opera's partners.
This article is part of a promotional campaign for the Paris National Opera.
Published on 12 November 2025 at 12:00
the 12 of November, 2025 | Print
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