Mozart’s The Magic Flute returns to the Vienna State Opera during the 2026–27 season in Barbora Horáková’s production. One of Mozart’s most beloved stage works, the opera combines fairy-tale adventure, comedy, romance and ritual with some of his most immediately recognisable music.
First performed in Vienna in 1791, The Magic Flute has an especially close connection with the city. Mozart composed the work for Emanuel Schikaneder’s Freihaustheater auf der Wieden, and it has remained part of Vienna’s operatic identity ever since.
Performance details
- Venue: Vienna State Opera
- Language: German
- Subtitles: German, English and other languages available at the seats
- Duration: Approx. 3h 15min, with 1 intermission
Ticket information
- E-tickets: Sent by email as PDF files
- Seating: Seats are together unless otherwise stated
Mozart’s magical journey of love, courage and discovery
At the centre of The Magic Flute is the young prince Tamino, who is sent by the Queen of the Night to rescue her daughter Pamina from Sarastro. Accompanied by the bird-catcher Papageno and protected by a magic flute, Tamino sets out on a journey that gradually overturns everything he has been told.
As the story unfolds, apparent villains and heroes change places. Tamino and Pamina must pass a series of trials, while Papageno follows his much simpler wish for companionship and eventually finds Papagena.
Mozart moves effortlessly between very different musical worlds: Papageno’s popular, comic style, Pamina’s lyricism, Sarastro’s grave authority and the Queen of the Night’s dazzling coloratura. The result is an opera that works simultaneously as fairy tale, comedy, love story and philosophical allegory.
At the Vienna State Opera, Barbora Horáková’s production gives the work a detailed, almost cinematic visual language. The story begins in a haunted house before moving through a series of real and imagined spaces, including a cellar, a classroom, a gentlemen’s club and Pamina’s bedroom.
For the December 2026 performances:
- Conductor: Axel Kober
- Sarastro: Günther Groissböck
- Tamino: Magnus Dietrich
- Queen of the Night: Sabine Devieilhe
- Pamina: Slávka Zámečníková
- Papageno: Georg Nigl
- Papagena: Ilia Staple
- Monostatos: Jörg Schneider
- Production: Barbora Horáková
- Sets & video: Falko Herold
- Costumes: Eva Butzkies
- Lighting: Stefan Bolliger
- Text adaptation: Isabella Gregor
Cast may vary by performance date.
The Magic Flute at the Vienna State Opera in the 2026–27 season
The Vienna State Opera presents seven performances of The Magic Flute during the 2026–27 season, on 12, 15 and 18 December 2026, and 8, 11, 14 and 19 May 2027.
Its combination of Mozart, fantasy, humour and a story closely connected with Vienna makes The Magic Flute an especially appealing choice for both first-time opera visitors and experienced audiences.
More opera at the Vienna State Opera
Discover more major productions in the 2026–27 season:
- Carmen at the Vienna State Opera
- The Barber of Seville at the Vienna State Opera
- La Bohème at the Vienna State Opera
