Graz is the capital city of Styria and Austria’s second largest city with about 300.000 inhabitants. With almost 60.000 students it is a bustling university town. The historic city centre and Castle Eggenberg belong to the UNESCO Cultural Heritage since 1999 and 2010 respectively. 2003 Graz was the European Capital of Culture and since 2011 it has been UNESCO City of Design. This multi-facetted city offers a rich variety of sights and events in a sunny mediteranean flair, with futuristic architecture next to medieval buildings and squares.
Opera has been performed in Graz since the 17th century and in 1864 the city’s first dedicated opera house was an adapted old circus hall. In 1899 the current building in neo-baroque style – designed by Fellner and Helmer – with its 1200 seats, was inaugurated. 1983 to 1985 the building was renovated and adapted to up-to-date stage standards. In 2001 Oper Graz was voted “Opera House of the Year”. In 2015 it was a finalist in the International Opera Awards as “Best Opera House” and nominated in two categories in 2018 as well.
Oper Graz will generously provide rehearsal space for the semifinal and final of the RING AWARD 20, as well as a team of singers for one of the finals teams .
Schauspielhaus Graz is the biggest theatre in Styria and consists of 3 different stages: HAUS EINS, HAUS ZWEI and HAUS DREI. HAUS EINS is a traditional stage with a capacity of 550 seats, whereas HAUS ZWEI and HAUS DREI are smaller studio stages with capacities of 100 and 50-60 seats. When Iris Laufenberg became the Artistic Director in 2015.2016 she put the focus on drama and classical comedy as well as a wide range of contemporary drama. Under her leadership the theatre also joined the European Theatre Convention (ETC) which functions as a network for European state theatres.
The RING AWARD 20 final will take place on the main stage (HAUS 1) of Schauspielhaus Graz.
Theatre for Young Audiences
Whether with family or friends, in your free time or with school, whether from Graz, Styria, or Neverland, whether theatre fan, curious museum-goer, or cinema buff going astray, whether you know countless stories or want to discover new adventures live on stage, the Next Liberty offers you just that! It accomodates 300 people of all generations and emotions. It provides space for phantasy and courage, musical and drama, fun and excitement. Space just for you!
The RING AWARD 20 semifinal will take place on the stage of Next Liberty.