General Terms and Conditions (GTC)
1. Scope
1.1. These General Terms and Conditions of Business govern the legal relationship between Bayreuther Festspiele GmbH (hereinafter: “BF”) and the ticket purchaser (hereinafter also: the “Purchaser”) and the visitors to the performances of the Richard Wagner Festival 2025.
1.2. By purchasing tickets for the Bayreuth Festival, the Purchaser acknowledges these Terms and Conditions of Business and Use for the 2025 Bayreuth Festival (“Online Instant Purchase” version) as binding for both themselves and all visitors to the performances who have received tickets from them for personal use as a result of their purchase. Once a contract to attend an event has been concluded and one or more admission tickets have been purchased, these Terms and Conditions will be deemed to have been agreed to.
1.3. If the Purchaser (additionally) acquires one or more tickets for a third party (accompanying person), the Purchaser must expressly inform the accompanying person of the application and content of these General Terms and Conditions as well as of the need to disclose information to BF in accordance with the provisions of these General Terms and Conditions; by taking possession of and using the ticket, the accompanying person or Visitor who receives tickets for personal use from the Purchaser as a result of the latter’s ticket order agrees to the Terms and Conditions applying between them and BF.
2. Admission prices and charges
2.1 The tickets for a performance are assigned to different price categories. Tickets from various price categories can be ordered for a performance. Ticket prices can be obtained from the current price list.
2.2. In addition to the ticket price, there is a fee of 6.00 euros per seat sold; in the case of an admission ticket for “Der Ring des Nibelungen”, 4x 6.00 euros per seat.
2.3 Concessions are not granted.
2.4. Programme booklets and other services are not included in the ticket price.
2.5. Tickets for the performances of the Bayreuth Festival are exempt from VAT in accordance with Section 4 No. 20 a) Sentence 2 of the Value-Added Tax Act (Umsatzsteuergesetz).
2a. Tickets involving the use of AR glasses for Parsifal performances
2a.1. The performances of the opera production “Parsifal”, with staging by Jay Scheib (a new opera production of the 2023 Bayreuth Festival), will feature the use of Extended Reality (xR) technologies. The 3D effects created by this, which are additional digital elements that merge with the stage set and enhance the overall visual impression through this illusion, are only visible to those audience members who wear special “augmented reality” (AR) glasses during the performance. For all other visitors, it will be a conventional opera production.
2a.2. The use of AR technologies in the Parsifal performances is of an experimental nature. For each performance of the opera production “Parsifal”, 330 seats are available that are equipped with AR glasses. Tickets for these seats can only be ordered in the price categories marked with the suffix “-AR” in the price list. This applies to the seats in the 1st row of the box, gallery and balcony as well as to seats in the last rows of the orchestra stalls.
2a.3. The ticket price shown for the “-AR” categories in the price list includes the provision of the AR glasses and the associated technical support.
2a.4. Purchasing an admission ticket in one of the price categories ending in “-AR” does not result in the Purchaser acquiring ownership of the AR glasses. The purchase of such a ticket only allows the use of AR glasses during the performance.
2a.5. The spectator will receive a technical briefing on the day of the performance and will find their AR glasses ready for use at their seat, permanently connected to the seat by means of the data transmission cable. They will remain at the seat during the breaks and after the end of the performance as well.
2a.6. The AR glasses, which are similar to sports sunglasses, are not compatible with normal glasses. For spectators who wear visual aids, special lenses can be inserted into the AR glasses on request, if the dioptric strength is specified. The ticket Purchaser will be informed about this procedure in advance of their visit to the festival by means of a flyer and/or a video on the website.
2a.7. In the event that the AR glasses cannot be used due to a technical defect or in the event of significant malfunctions, the visitor will be reimbursed the difference between the paid ticket price and the ticket price of the corresponding price category without the use of AR glasses.
3. Sending of invoices and terms of payment
3.1. In the online instant purchase procedure, invoices are exclusively provided electronically within the meaning of Section 14 Para. 1, Sentences 7 and 8 of the Value-Added Tax Act (Umsatzsteuergesetz). Invoices will not be submitted in paper form. After successfully completing the payment transaction (5.7, 5.8.), invoices are available for viewing, downloading and printing at www.bayreuther-festspiele.de in the Purchaser’s personal login area (“My Festival”). The Purchaser will be informed of the invoice availability via email.
3.2. Payments can only be made in euros.
3.3. The following payment methods are available for payment:
4. General Conditions of Purchase
4.1. The Purchaser must be of full legal age and have unlimited legal capacity.
4.2. At Bayreuth Festival 2025, a portion of the admission tickets will be issued for orders taking into account the special criteria, in particular previous waiting times, with another portion being issued independently of the aforementioned criteria on a first-come-first-served basis, “Online Instant-Purchase Tickets”. The purchase of the latter is governed by the General Terms and Conditions for Online Instant-Purchase Tickets. On the other hand, the purchase of tickets by means of online orders and written orders is governed by the “General Terms and Conditions for Online Orders and Written Orders”.
4.3. Online Instant-Purchase Tickets (4.2) may only be purchased via seat plan booking or best seat booking on the Internet at www.bayreuther-festspiele.de in accordance with the provisions of these General Terms and Conditions.
4.4. To set up a customer account by means of registration and verification (5.3), which is a prerequisite for instant online purchases, it is compulsory to provide a valid postal address, a verified email address and a telephone number. If a business email address is provided, the Purchaser themselves shall ensure that private use of that email address is permitted for the purpose of further processing and handling of the purchase.
4.5. Through the online instant purchase process, a Purchaser may obtain a total of up to 18 tickets, regardless of the number of online purchase transactions, but no more than 6 tickets per performed work. For each work in the categories G1-G4, E3-E6 and C6-C7, a maximum of 2 tickets can be purchased for one performance. The RING cycle is counted as one ticket.
4.6. The performances of the Der Ring des Nibelungen (“The Ring of the Nibelung”) tetralogy, consisting of the individual works The Rhinegold, The Valkyrie, Siegfried and Twilight of the Gods, can be ordered either together, for the entire cycle, or individually, to the extent offered by BF.
4.7. Online “orders” for Online Instant-Purchase Tickets will be processed exclusively on a first-come-first-served basis.
4.8. Upon acceptance of the transmitted offer (5.7) and the resultant purchase of one or more admission tickets, a legally binding contract shall come into being between the Purchaser and BF relating to attendance at the event; under the terms of that contract, the transfer of admission tickets is not governed by the principles of property law but the principles of debt recovery law.
4.9. Wheelchair spaces and spaces for accompanying persons may not be purchased as part of online instant purchases. Wheelchair spaces and places for accompanying persons can only be requested directly from the Bayreuth Festival ticket office.
5. Online purchase of “Online Instant-Purchase Tickets”
5.1. Online Instant-Purchase Tickets may only be purchased via the Internet at www.bayreuther-festspiele.de starting at 2:00 p.m. CEST (UTC+1) on 01/12/2024.
5.2. Participation in the online instant purchasing requires registration and verification of the customer account, which can be carried out at www.bayreuther-festspiele.de.
5.3. Given the high demand for “Online Instant-Purchase Tickets” and numerous attempts to place orders at the same time, in particular, on the day of activation (5.1), the login form of the ticket shop at www.bayreuther-festspiele.de will be preceded by a queue to implement the “first-come-first-served” principle (4.2), which the Purchaser initiates by accessing the website www.bayreuther-festspiele.de and which they can cancel at any time by closing the browser window. Purchasers who close their browser window will lose their position in the queue. While the Purchaser stays in the queue, their progress is visualised in percentage terms by means of a “progress bar”, bearing in mind the current number of purchasers that accessed the website before them; the availability of individual works is indicated by means of a traffic light, irrespective of price categories and specific performance dates. Instructions displayed while waiting in the queue must be observed to retain your position. Once the waiting period is over, the Purchaser is requested to enter the ticket shop by entering their verified access data (customer number or email address as well as password) (5.3). The Purchaser has 10 minutes (“time-out period”) to do so. Once the Purchaser has been timed out, they may only attempt to log in again after first waiting in the queue again.
5.4. Purchasers may select tickets for individual performances that are available as Online Instant-Purchase Tickets within the limits of available capacity, bearing in mind the limit on sales quantities (4.5). In the shopping basket, Purchasers can review the individual ticket prices and the total price in addition to the seats they have selected for the relevant performances. The contents of the online shopping basket are reserved for 30 minutes, starting when the first item is placed in the shopping basket. If the transaction (including the payment process) is not successfully completed within this time period, the entire shopping cart content is deleted and the transaction cancelled. Purchasers have the option of deleting individual tickets displayed in the shopping basket from the shopping basket on a per-seat basis by clicking on the waste bin icon displayed in a red button. Tickets deleted from the shopping basket will be immediately available for sale again and can only be re-added to the shopping basket if they have not been selected or purchased by any other Purchaser in the meantime.
5.5. From the shopping basket (5.4), Purchasers can either select additional tickets and place these in their shopping basket – provided tickets are still available and provided the restriction on sales (4.5) is observed – or can continue the order process for the tickets already present in their shopping basket. Purchasers may continue the order process by clicking on the “Proceed to Checkout” button. The order confirmation summary shown at this point to Purchasers contains the following information: address stored, a list of all tickets in the shopping cart, applicable fees and the total order amount. Underneath, Purchasers must select their desired payment method to continue and complete the order process. The Purchaser can continue the ordering process by clicking on the “Confirm Purchase” button. The order process is completed when payment is made.
5.6. By clicking on the “Confirm Order” button, Purchasers submit a binding order under obligation of payment to Bayreuther Festspiele GmbH, as well as a binding offer to conclude an event attendance contract under the law of obligations. The contract comes into effect upon BF’s confirmation of the ordered tickets, which will be displayed to the Purchaser after payment is settled (5.8). Confirmation of the successful purchase of the tickets will also be sent to the Purchaser by email.
5.7. At the end of the ordering process, payment for the admission tickets must be made in accordance with the provisions of clause 3, following the instructions of the payment provider chosen by the Purchaser. The Purchaser will receive corresponding prompts after clicking the “Buy Now” button, which completes the binding order (subject to binding costs).
5.8 Purchasers are responsible for the correctness of the information they provide during the ordering process. This applies equally to the order as such (selection of performance, number of tickets, etc.) and personal information (address, email address, etc.). Any errors are the responsibility of the Purchaser.
5.9. BF may at any time interrupt or completely cancel both the online ordering process as such and the specific ticket order transaction, if proper or legal execution of the order process is no longer possible. This includes, in particular, cases involving technical difficulties (hardware and software errors, computer viruses, server problems, etc.), external tampering or attempts at tampering, and/or a lack of legal prerequisites. BF may also interrupt or cancel the specific ticket ordering transaction at any time in the cases provided under Section 4.9.
5.10. BF recommends the use of an up-to-date web browser to avoid technical problems.
6. Personalisation, activation, provision and delivery of Online Instant-Purchase Tickets
6.1. Online Instant-Purchase Tickets will only be provided digitally. Conventional tickets in paper form cannot be issued, even on request.
6.2. All ordered tickets will be issued in the first and last name of the Purchaser before being made available to them, and allow the Purchaser to be identified as such – in addition to the specific user (6.4).
6.3. Purchasers may, after full payment, access their tickets in their personal login area (“My Festival” at www.bayreuther-festspiele.de and print them out after personalisation (6.4.). After personalisation, the tickets will also be provided digitally as a mobile ticket. Tickets can be personalised and downloaded after payment has been confirmed. The Customer will be informed of the value date. Online Instant-Purchase Tickets will not be sent by either post or email.
6.4. The tickets provided at www.bayreuther-festspiele.de in the Purchaser’s personal login area (“My Festival”) must be personalised by the Purchaser by stating the first name and surname of the user in question before printing, which is the Purchaser’s responsibility, or before use as a mobile ticket. The Purchaser of the tickets will provide the contact details of users whom they allow to use the tickets; they will only provide these details of third parties (accompanying person) if the persons in question have consented to the details being disclosed. The first and last name of the user are specified on each admission ticket. Only admission tickets that are personalised for the specific user in accordance with the aforementioned provisions and thereby activated can be printed or made available as mobile tickets, and they are valid. Purchasers must personalise and activate the tickets no later than two calendar days before the performance in question; once this period has elapsed, ticket personalisation and activation is no longer possible. No compensation will be issued for tickets that are not personalised on time (7.1). Pursuant to Section 7.2, only BF’s ticket office may amend or reassign personalised tickets.
6.5. Tickets must be presented at the entrance in paper form or in electronic form, e.g., on a smartphone.
6.6. The conformity of the personalisation (6.4) with the identity of the respective user/visitor must be proven upon request by production of a valid official photo ID. Further access requirements (11) remain unaffected.
6.7. The provision of the ticket under “My Festival” fulfils all of BF’s obligations concerning the online instant purchase.
6.8. Purchasers are advised to check the date, time and presentation for conformity with the invoice upon receipt. Purchasers must immediately report any errors vis-a-vis the order to BF (ticket@bayreuther-festspiele.de; postal address: Bayreuther Festspiele GmbH, Kartenbüro, Festspielhügel 1-2, 95445 Bayreuth).
6.9. It is the responsibility of the Purchaser of an online immediate purchase ticket to ensure that only one printout is made and no electronic copies are created, in order to prevent potential misuse.
7. Returning and transferring tickets
7.1. As a rule, admission tickets already paid for can be neither returned nor exchanged. Any resale of tickets is subject to an assignment prohibition in certain cases (9.4). No replacement will be provided for expired tickets. This will also apply if tickets have not been personalised and activated in a timely manner.
7.2. BF’s ticket office is solely entitled, upon the Purchaser’s request, to transfer admission tickets personalised in accordance with Section 6.4 to another user. Handwritten changes to the user’s name by the Purchaser or other third parties or any associated deletions will render the ticket invalid. BF is entitled to charge a fee of EUR 5.00 for any transfer.
7.3. BF may prevent the access and attendance of holders of tickets that have not been personalised in accordance with Section 6.4 or that have not been amended in the correct manner in accordance with Section 7.2.
7.4. Changes to cast and crew, including to the musical directors and the production teams, and other changes to the order of events of a performance do not entitle the holder to return tickets.
7.5. If a performance is cancelled, the admission fee will only be refunded if no more than one act or scene has taken place by such time. The right to a refund expires if the claim is not asserted to BF within two weeks of the performance in question.
7.6. In the case of cancellation of the performance before it has begun, the admission tickets affected by the cancellation of the performance will be taken back and the admission fee will be returned, however, not including the charge of 6.00 Euro per entry ticket (for “Der Ring des Nibelungen” 4 x 6.00 Euro per entry ticket). The right to a refund expires if the claim is not asserted to BF within two weeks of the performance in question at least in writing (electronic communications shall suffice).
On the other hand, a refund of the fee per seat sold within the meaning of paragraph 1 above will not be excluded if the Bayreuth Festival in general or the contractual event or performance(s), in particular, are cancelled, suspended or interrupted due to force majeure (18).
7.7. In the case of Sections 7.5 and 7.6, neither Purchasers nor ticket holders may raise any further claims.
8. Loss of tickets
If the Visitor does not have a printout of the Online Instant-Purchase Ticket or if it is unreadable (e.g., due to forgetting it or damage), they can request a one-time reprint/replacement ticket at the ticket counter (referred to as the clearing office) established by BF. This must be done no later than 30 minutes before the start of the performance for which the ticket is required, and it is subject to a fee. This is only possible if the ticket has already been personalised and registered in the Visitor’s name by the Purchaser (6.4.) and if the Visitor can provide appropriate identification. The charge for issuance of a replacement ticket is EUR 5.00. No second print/replacement tickets may be issued (7.1, sentence 3 and 4) if the original ticket has not been personalised and registered . Irrespective of this, Purchasers may login into their personal login area (“My Festival”) at a terminal in the ticket office and print out personalised tickets free of charge in accordance with Section 6.4.
9. Resale and transfer of admission tickets
9.1. BF is sponsored by the delegates of the German Federal Government for Culture and Media, the Free State of Bavaria, the City of Bayreuth, the Gesellschaft der Freunde von Bayreuth e.V. (Society of Friends of Bayreuth e.V.) and the District of Upper Franconia. They feel obliged to ensure a balanced and fair price policy and endeavour to maintain and implement a socially viable price structure as well as fair distribution. BF endeavours to honour such commitment by selling available tickets itself instead of doing so via commercial ticket dealers or ticket offices/exchanges to the end user, and does not demand the maximum price that can be achieved on the market for these tickets due to the excess demand.
9.2. By accepting these conditions, the ticket Purchaser is declaring that the admission tickets are being acquired solely for private use.
9.3. Purchasers may only cede to a third-party their rights and obligations under this contract concluded with BF and related to the event, including, as a result, the right to demand admission to the performance(s), under the condition that the third-party assumes all rights and obligations in place of the Purchaser as a contract party with BF, and under the condition that no ban on such a cession exists as according to the following regulations.
9.4. The resale of admission tickets is prohibited in the following specified cases (prohibition of assignment); consent will not be given in these cases:
a) In the event of the sale or transfer of admission tickets or the procurement of admission tickets for third parties if this occurs within the framework of commercial activities and/or for gain
b) in the case of sale of admission tickets on non-authorised Internet platforms, for example, and in particular, eBay or non-authorised Online Ticket Markets (e.g., Viagogo), or within the framework of Internet auctions; an exception here is the sale within the scope of an instant-sale or immediate-sale at a price not higher than the original price of the ticket, including the ticket charge and – if such costs were incurred – a proportion of the processing charge, in addition to costs which were or will be incurred to the seller during the procurement and/or during the resale of the ticket by the chosen method (e.g., postage and/or e.g., eBay charge or similar charges),
c) In the event of sale of tickets at a price which is higher than the original price of the tickets, including the ticket fee and – if incurred – the attributable handling fee, plus such costs that have been or will be incurred by the seller as a result of the purchase or resale of the tickets
d) in the case of sale of tickets to make a profit or the act of procuring admission tickets in the name of a third person in order to make a profit by acting as an agency; in this respect, the aim of making a profit applies to the intention to sell the ticket at a price which exceeds the original price of the ticket, including the ticket charge and – if such costs were incurred – a proportion of the processing charge, in addition to costs which were or will be incurred to the seller during the procurement and/or during the resale of the ticket by the chosen method,
e) in the event that the tickets are transferred and/or sold for advertising or marketing purposes, as a bonus, giveaway or prize or as part of a hospitality or travel package not authorised by the event organiser, or
f) In the event that the admission tickets are sold without reference to these General Terms and Conditions.
9.5. The resale or forwarding of admission tickets when the conditions stated under Paragraph b)-f) are maintained remains unaffected.
9.6. Tickets that are resold and forwarded after personalisation (6.3, 6.4) must be amended so that they are made out to the new user in accordance with Section 7.2, without prejudice to the above provisions in Sections 9.2 to 9.5.
9.7. BF may refuse to issue and send admission tickets to persons who violate the above provisions in Sections 9.2 and 9.4. or who attempt to resell them, with this constituting a violation against the above regulations in Sections 9.2 to 9.4. The same applies to people who deal in tickets commercially or for gain without the prior written consent of BF or who have sold or attempted to sell tickets from a previous festival season in violation of the applicable regulations regarding resale and passing on of tickets, or who make such tickets available to such persons. In these cases, BF will also be entitled to refuse any amendments to details on tickets in accordance with 9.6, 7.2.; this applies regardless of who is requesting the ticket be amended. Admission tickets which have already been allocated and/or sent to the Purchaser may be declared invalid (electronic locking of the barcode) or claimed back by BF in the case of violation of the foregoing stipulations at Paragraphs 9.2 to 9.4, and in the case of a right of refusal within the meaning of the preceding sentence 2. This also applies in the case of attempts to sell tickets in violation of the above regulations in Sections 9.2 to 9.4.
9.8. BF may prevent holders of blocked tickets from accessing and attending the performance.
9.9. BF cannot be held liable for the validity of admission tickets from other ticket providers or for their services or prices.
10. Other legal information
10.1 BF draws attention to the link to the online platform of the EU Commission for the extrajudicial online settlement of disputes (“OS Platform”),
http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/
, which is present on BF’s homepage.
10.2. BF’s email address is: ticket@bayreuther-festspiele.de
10.3. Bayreuther Festspiele GmbH is not legally obliged to participate in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board. Nor is it prepared to do so.
10.4. Pursuant to section 312g Para. 2 sentence 1 no. 9 of the German Civil Code, Purchasers are not entitled to a right of withdrawal. They cannot revoke their declaration of intent.
11. Starting times, admission and admission check
11.1. Only publications officially issued by BF, the website operated by BF (www.bayreuther-festspiele.de) and the admission tickets themselves contain authoritative information (date and starting times) on the performances. BF reserves the right to make short-term changes, such as postponing the time at which the performance starts on the same day. BF bears no responsibility for the information in other publications.
11.2. Once the performance has started, Visitors can only be let into the auditorium during an official break, for reasons of safety and out of consideration towards the performing artists and other Visitors. There may be delays during checks for admission to the Festspielhaus as well as longer waiting times in the cloakroom and/or cloakroom depot in front of the Festspielhaus in the event of any particular statutory or official safety requirements. Visitors are responsible for ensuring they arrive with sufficient time in advance. Delays caused as a result will not entitle visitors to enter the auditorium after the performance has started.
11.3. The currently valid legal, regulatory and official access requirements apply for Visitors to BF’s performances.
11.4. Regardless of the separate admission requirements in accordance with 11.3., visitors must show the following documents:
11.5. BF is entitled to refuse admission to the event site or expel Visitors from the event site for cause, for example, in the event of clear symptoms of contagious diseases. This also applies if an admission ticket holder violates mandatory provisions of the safety and/or hygiene concept. There will be no refund of the purchase price in these cases.
12. Power to enforce house rules and restrictions on items taken in
12.1 BF exercises the power to enforce house rules in the Bayreuth Festival Theatre. It is entitled to issue expulsions and bans from the site as well as other suitable measures as part of its power to enforce house rules. In particular, visitors can be expelled from performances if they cause disturbance, bother other guests or, in any other serious manner or repeatedly, break the house rules or any conditions of use related to the event. Admission may be refused if there is a reasonable suspicion that the visitor will disrupt the performance or bother other visitors. There will be no refund of the purchase price in these cases.
12.2. The visitor will only occupy the seat which is stated on their ticket or the seat which the admittance staff allocate to them. If he/she has taken up a seat for which he/she does not possess a valid ticket or to which he/she has not been allocated, then BF may instruct the visitor to leave that seat or even the whole performance.
12.3. Privately offering and reselling admission tickets in the facilities and on the premises of the Bayreuth Festival Theatre is forbidden.
12.4. Mobile electronic devices, pagers and acoustic signalling devices of any kind can only be taken into the auditorium if they are turned off.
12.5. Taking food and drinks into the auditorium and consuming them there is not permitted.
12.6. For reasons relating to animal protection and for reasons of space, guide dogs or other animals with similar, corresponding functions cannot be taken into the auditorium. If notified in advance, BF will have admission staff ready to guide affected persons and allocate seats.
12.7. For safety reasons, taking bulky and – regardless of size – dangerous objects as well as seat cushions into the Festspielhaus is prohibited. Handbags can be taken into the hall up to a maximum size of 18 cm x 26 cm x 6 cm. Larger bags must be locked in the lockers outside the Festspielhaus or handed over to the cloakroom. In the event of deviating official safety requirements, those shall take precedence.
12.8. Smoking is prohibited in all publicly accessible rooms of the Bayreuth Festival Theatre.
13. Health protection and hygiene regulations
13.1. For the purpose of protecting the health of BF employees and other participants and visitors to the Bayreuth Festival, the Bayreuth Festival will observe and implement all legal, regulatory and official requirements applicable at any particular time.
The measures taken in each case are binding for the ticket Purchaser and the users of the admission tickets designated by them and supplement the provisions below.
13.2. In order to protect the health of BF employees and other participants and visitors to the Bayreuth Festival, BF shall be entitled to impose hygiene standards and rules of conduct in justified cases of danger to life and limb (e.g., epidemics, pandemics, etc.) at its own reasonable discretion, irrespective of any applicable legal, regulatory or official requirements, to impose hygiene standards and rules of conduct in this regard, such as the wearing of a face covering/mask, including the requirement for such a mask (e.g., FFP2), the observance of distances or the use of disinfectants, as well as protective measures for the visit to the Festspielhaus and its adjoining buildings, which the user of the admission ticket is obliged to comply with.
13.3. Neither the Purchaser nor the user of the admission ticket in question shall have any claim to the implementation of corresponding hygiene and safety measures.
13.4. The safety and, if necessary, hygiene concept of the Bayreuth Festival is intended to reduce the risk of contagion of visitors and third parties with contagious diseases to an acceptable level. However, the risk of infection and, as a result, illness associated with any visit to a performance or concert cannot be excluded. Therefore, BF’s liability for injury to the life, limb or health of a concert visitor resulting from the implementation of the safety and, if necessary, hygiene concept in connection with the event is excluded; this does not apply to damage caused by intentional or negligent action or omissions.
14. Ban on taking visual and audio recordings
Creating visual and audio recordings of any kind in the auditorium is forbidden, not least for copyright reasons. Violations may result in claims for damages or measures in accordance with Section 12.1.
15. Audiovisual recordings and photographic recordings of BF or third parties
15.1. If an audiovisual recording of a performance is created, the spectator may appear in the image as part of the audience. Even reflections may occur as a result of the scene. Spectators unreservedly consent to the use of this recording in a manner which is unlimited in terms of content, time and space. This will not give rise to any claims of the affected spectator, including those relating to remuneration.
15.2. Upon acquisition of an admission ticket or by attending a performance, the Visitor furthermore declares their consent to BF, or any third parties commissioned or authorised by it, making audiovisual recordings and/or photographic recordings in which the Visitor can be recognised as a Visitor to the performance, distributing these, and using them in a manner which is unlimited with respect to content, term and territory. This will not give rise to any claims of the affected spectator, including those relating to remuneration.
15.3. The Purchaser of an admission ticket and the Visitor to a performance are aware that other visitors may create photographic and audiovisual recordings both in the Festspielhaus and on the festival premises, wherein the Visitor can be recognised as a visitor to the performance. BF assumes no liability for recordings of this kind; this applies, in particular, in the event that recordings are made publicly accessible online (e.g., social media platforms such as Facebook and the like). The regulation in Section 14. as well as any rights of the affected Visitor against the third party which created the recording and/or made it publicly accessible will remain unaffected.
16. Liability
BF, its legal representatives and its vicarious agents shall only be liable for damage suffered by a Visitor on the premises or grounds of the Festspielhaus Bayreuth in cases of intent and gross negligence. This limitation of liability does not apply for claims based on injury to life, limb or health.
17. Newsletter
By registering for the Bayreuth Festival Newsletter, the Purchaser consents to the personal data provided by the Purchaser, in particular, the email address provided, and the personal order data, being used by BF to offer and present the Purchaser with both general and personalised advertisements and/or special offers and/or services, including offers and services of BF in cooperation with third parties (e.g., sponsors). Should the Purchaser not (or no longer) wish to receive these advertisements or presentations, they can revoke their consent at any time. A message in writing (electronic communications included) addressed to the contact details provided in the Newsletter (e.g., email, fax, letter) or unsubscribing will suffice to do this. It is also possible to unsubscribe from the Newsletter by clicking on the link at the end of each email.
18. Force majeure
18.1. Should force majeure render holding the Bayreuth Festival in general and/or specifically the implementation of the contractual event or performance(s) impossible, the obligations to which both parties are subject shall cease to apply.
18.2. “Force majeure” means the occurrence of any event or circumstances which are beyond the reasonable control of the parties, was unforeseeable at the time the contract was concluded, and whose effects could not reasonably have been avoided or overcome by the parties.
18.3. The following events are presumed to constitute force majeure: war (declared or undeclared), hostilities, attacks, acts of foreign enemies, large-scale military mobilisation; civil war, rioting, rebellion and revolution, military or any other seizure of power, insurrection, acts of terrorism, sabotage or piracy; currency and trade restrictions, embargos, sanctions; lawful or unlawful official acts, compliance with laws or government orders, expropriation, confiscation of works, requisition, nationalisation; plague, epidemic, pandemic, natural disaster or extreme natural events; explosions, fires, destruction of equipment, prolonged failure of transportation, telecommunications, information systems, or power; general labour unrest such as boycott, strike and lockout, go-slow, occupation of factories and buildings.
18.4. In the event that holding the Bayreuth Festival in general and/or implementing the contractual event or performance(s) in particular becomes impossible due to events and circumstances which constitute an effect or effects of the current COVID-19 pandemic, force majeure within the meaning of the above paragraphs shall not be precluded by the fact that these events or circumstances were foreseeable or could or had to be taken into consideration as possible at the time of conclusion of the contract. In this case, neither contractual party may claim that these events or circumstances were not beyond the reasonable control of the parties, that they were reasonably foreseeable at the time the contract was concluded, or that their effects could reasonably have been avoided or overcome by the parties.
19. Severability
In the event that provisions of these General Terms and Conditions and Conditions of Use are or become invalid in whole or in part, the validity of the remaining provisions shall not be affected. Any ineffective clause or partial clause will be replaced by a provision that comes as close as possible to the content of the ineffective provision.
Status: 25/11/2024
Signed,
Prof. Katharina Wagner, Ulrich Jagels
Managing Directors of Bayreuther Festspiele GmbH
Terms and Conditions of Business and Use of Bayreuther Festspiele GmbH for Online Orders and Written Orders as well as for the Performances of the Richard Wagner Festival 2025
1. Scope
1.1. These General Terms and Conditions (T&Cs) govern the legal relationship between Bayreuther Festspiele GmbH (hereinafter: “BF”) and the ticket purchaser (hereinafter also: the “Purchaser” or “Customer”) and the visitors to the performances of the 2025 Richard Wagner Festival.
1.2. By ordering admission tickets for the Bayreuther Festspiele, the Customer recognises the binding nature of these “Terms and Conditions of Business and Use for the 2025 Bayreuther Festspiele (version for written orders and online orders)” both for him/herself and all visitors of performances who receive tickets from him/her for personal use on the basis of his/her order. Once a contract to attend an event has been concluded and one or more admission tickets have been purchased, these terms and conditions shall be deemed to have been agreed to.
1.3. If the Customer (also) purchases one or more tickets for a third party (accompanying person), the Customer must expressly inform the accompanying person of the application and content of these General Terms and Conditions as well as of the need to disclose information to BF in accordance with the provisions of these General Terms and Conditions, whereby, by accepting and using the admission ticket, the accompanying person or the visitor who receives tickets from the Customer for personal use on the basis of the latter’s ticket order agrees to the applicability of the General Terms and Conditions between him/her and BF.
2. Entrance fees and charges
2.1 The tickets for a performance are assigned to different price categories. Tickets for a performance can only be ordered in one price category. Ticket prices can be obtained from the current price list.
2.2. In addition to the ticket price, the following fees apply for each successful purchase procedure, or each invoice:
2.3. Discounts will only be granted in the cases specified in the applicable price lists.
2.4. Programme booklets and other services are not included in the ticket price.
2a. Tickets involving the use of AR glasses for Parsifal performances
2a.1. The performances of the opera production “Parsifal”, with staging by Jay Scheib (a new opera production from the 2023 Bayreuther Festspiele), feature the use of extended reality (XR) technologies. The 3D effects created by this, which are additional digital elements that merge with the stage set and enhance the overall visual impression through this illusion, are only visible to those audience members who wear special “augmented reality” (AR) glasses during the performance. For all other visitors, it will be a conventional opera production.
2a.2. The use of xR technologies in the Parsifal performances is of an experimental nature. For each performance of the opera production “Parsifal”, 330 seats are available that are equipped with AR glasses. For technical reasons, tickets for these seats can only be ordered in the price categories marked with the suffix “-AR” in the price list. This applies to the seats in the 1st row of the box, gallery and balcony as well as to seats in the last rows of the orchestra stalls.
2a.3. The ticket price shown for the “-AR” categories in the price list includes the provision of the AR glasses and the associated technical support.
2a.4. Purchasing an admission ticket in one of the price categories ending in “-AR” does not result in the Purchaser acquiring ownership of the AR glasses. The purchase of such a ticket only allows the use of AR glasses during the performance.
2a.5. The spectator will receive a technical briefing on the day of the performance and will find his/her AR glasses ready for use at his/her seat, permanently connected to the seat by means of the data transmission cable. They will remain at the seat during the breaks and after the end of the performance as well.
2a.6. The AR glasses, which are similar in design to sports sunglasses, are not compatible with normal glasses. For short-sighted spectators who use visual aids, special lenses can be inserted into the AR glasses on request, if the dioptric strength is specified. The ticket Purchaser will be informed about this procedure in advance of his/her visit to the festival by means of a flyer and/or a video on the website.
2a.7. In the event that the AR glasses cannot be used due to a technical defect or in the event of significant malfunctions, the visitor will be reimbursed the difference between the paid ticket price and the ticket price of the corresponding price category without the use of AR glasses.
3. Transmission of invoices and terms of payment
3.1. As part of the standard ordering procedure (5.), invoices are available for viewing, downloading and printing exclusively at www.bayreuther-festspiele.de in the Customer’s personal login area (“My Festival”). Before the invoice is provided, the Customer will be informed by email that an offer to purchase admission tickets has been made and that a corresponding invoice can be accessed under “My Festival”. If the Customer chooses to have the tickets sent by post (2.2., 7.2.), the invoice will also be sent by post.
3.2. Once BF has issued the invoice, payments must be made within the period specified therein (two weeks from the invoice date) and only in euros.
3.3. The following payment methods are available for purchasing admission tickets:
Additionally for online orders (standard ordering procedure) (5.):
4. General terms and conditions for orders
4.1. The Purchaser must be an adult and have unlimited legal capacity.
4.2. For the 2025 Bayreuther Festspiele, a portion of the tickets for orders will be allocated taking into account the factual criteria mentioned under 4.8, and another portion will be allocated independently of the aforementioned criteria exclusively on the basis of the “first come, first served” principle, so-called instant-purchase online tickets. The purchase of instant-purchase online tickets is governed by the General Terms and Conditions for Instant-Purchase Online Tickets.
4.3. Orders for tickets will only be accepted online (5.) or in writing (6.).
4.4. The Customer’s valid email address and postal address must be provided in order to order tickets. If a business email address is provided, the Customer shall ensure that private use of the business email address provided is permitted for the purpose of further processing and, if necessary, completion of the order (e.g., sending the invoice). If the Customer does not have an email address or does not wish to use an email address for the ordering process, tickets can only be ordered in conjunction with postal dispatch, for which a separate fee is incurred in the event of a successful order (2.2, 7.2.).
4.5. The processing of ticket orders for the Bayreuther Festspiele takes place continuously.
4.6. For the individual performances, tickets can only be ordered by seating category. Specific seats cannot be selected. Multiple tickets for the same performance – if available – will be issued next to each other; the Purchaser of the tickets shall not be entitled to adjacent seats. The express wish on the part of the Customer to purchase only adjacent tickets within the order can constitute a further material criterion pursuant to section 4.8. in the event of excessive demand.
4.7. Tickets for the performances of the Der Ring des Nibelungen tetralogy, consisting of the individual works Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung, can only be ordered together for the entire cycle using the ordering procedure that is determined by these General Terms and Conditions. Tickets for individual works in the tetralogy can only be purchased individually or in other sales combinations (e.g., pairs of performances, such as Das Rheingold + Die Walküre, or Siegfried + Götterdämmerung) using the so-called instant-purchase online procedure (4.2.), to the extent provided by BF.
4.8. Ticket orders will be processed at intervals, taking into account previous waiting times and demand for the individual performances (new production, day of the week, distribution of seats [request for adjacent seats only], and price category). The ticket orders from previous years that preceded the ticket order for 2025 and which were not taken into account due to excess demand shall be counted towards the waiting time.
4.9. Each Customer can order and purchase a maximum of 18 tickets in total. For each work in the 2025 Bayreuther Festspiele, a maximum of 6 tickets can be ordered for one performance; for works in the categories G1-G4, E3-E6 and C6-C7, a maximum of 2 tickets can be purchased for one performance. A ticket for the Der Ring des Nibelungen tetralogy is counted as 1 ticket with respect to the card limit. Orders for multiple performances of the same work will not be taken into account.
4.10. If, after taking into account the waiting times in accordance with Section 4.8., the number of tickets ordered cannot be covered within the framework of the available price categories, the release of tickets for the performance in question may be limited per order beyond the limitation in accordance with 4.9. If alternative seats in another price category are available, BF reserves the right to offer these.
4.11. Up to 6 wheelchair spaces (price category B2, B3) and, in each case, one seat for the accompanying person (price category B1, B2) are available for each performance. If the accompanying person is demonstrably required, the ticket is free of charge for the accompanying person. The accompanying ticket is linked to the wheelchair space; resale is not permitted. These seats are not offered for instant online purchase.
Furthermore, up to 20 end seats (B2 and B3) are available at each performance for visitors with limited mobility or a similar condition. Level access is only guaranteed in price categories A1, B1, B2 and B3.
4.12. Acceptance of the transmitted offer via payment of the invoice, including payment by means of offsetting with credit (5.3. and 6.4.), and the associated purchase of one or more admission tickets will give rise to a binding contract for attendance of the event between the Purchaser and BF, by virtue of which, the transfer of admission tickets is based not on principles of property law, but rather on the law of claims.
4.13. If no admission tickets can be allocated to the Customer, he/she will not receive a separate letter of rejection.
5. Online orders (standard orders)
5.1 Online orders are possible after registration and successful log-in under “My Festival” at www.bayreuther-festspiele.de.
5.2. By confirming completion of the order process by clicking on the “Order now” button, the ticket Purchaser shall transmit his/her ticket requests for the 2025 Bayreuther Festspiele to BF (request to receive an offer). Insofar as the Customer’s wishes, including his/her alternative wishes, can be fulfilled in full or in part by BF, the Customer will receive an invoice in accordance with Section 3.1., i.e., through it being provided in his/her personal login area (“My Festival”).
5.3. The invoice from BF also constitutes an offer to conclude a binding contract for attendance of the event. Payment of the invoice sum within a deadline of two weeks from the invoice date, which shall also be the deadline to accept the offer, will be regarded as binding acceptance of this offer. If the Customer declares that the invoice amount should be offset against a credit balance arising from the 2020 festival season, this shall be equivalent to payment of the invoice within the meaning of the above sentence 2; such a declaration can be submitted in the Customer’s personal login area (“My Festival”) following receipt of the invoice. The credit for the invoice amount must be received by BF by the payment deadline (value date) by means of the payment methods provided. The same applies to receipt of declarations to offset the amount against existing credit. If the payment or dec-laration is not received in time, the admission tickets offered may be assigned to someone else. In this case, the Customer shall not be entitled to receive the previously offered and invoiced tickets or to be allocated other tickets. Claims for damages on the part of the Customer are excluded in all cases.
5.4. Payment of admission tickets as part of the online ordering process is possible by bank transfer, credit card or – if available – offsetting against existing balances, subject to Section 3. Any remaining credit from the previous year(s) will be refunded to the Customer via bank transfer.
5.5. The Customer is solely responsible for ensuring that the data he/she provides as part of the order procedure is correct. This applies equally to the order as such (selection of performances, number of tickets, etc.) and personal information (address, email address, etc.). The Customer will bear the consequences of any mistakes.
5.6. The online ordering process as such, as well as the specific ticket ordering procedure itself, can be suspended by BF at any time or cancelled entirely if it is no longer possible to carry out the order process in a proper or law-ful manner. This includes, in particular, cases involving technical difficulties (hardware and software errors, computer viruses, server problems, etc.), external tampering or attempts at tampering, and/or legal prerequisites not being met.
5.7 BF draws attention to the link to the online platform of the EU Commission for extrajudicial online settlement of disputes (“OS Platform”), http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/, which is posted on BF’s homepage.
5.8. BF’s email address is as follows: ticket@bayreuther-festspiele.de
6. Written orders
6.1. Written orders should be sent via post to: Bayreuther Festspiele GmbH, Ticket Office, Postfach 10 02 62, 95402 Bayreuth. Orders via fax or email will neither be acknowledged nor processed.
6.2. For written orders, the BF order form must be used, which will be sent to the Customer by the BF ticket office by post together with the order documents if requested and if written orders have previously been placed. Orders written freely by hand cannot be processed on principle. In the event of orders written freely by hand, BF will not be obliged to clarify any queries.
6.3. Upon submitting a written order that is received by the BF ticket office, the Purchaser transmits his/her ticket wishes for the 2025 Bayreuther Festspiele to BF (request to receive an offer). If BF can fulfil the Customer’s request, including his/her alternative requests, either in whole or in part, the Customer will receive an invoice in accordance with Section 3.1.
6.4. The regulations of Sections 5.3. to 5.5. apply mutatis mutandis. In deviation from 5.3. sentence 3, the declaration can also be submitted as a physical copy by post by means of a form sent alongside the invoice.
7. Personalisation and activation, provision and dispatch of admission tickets
7.1. All admission tickets belonging to an order process will be made out to the first and last name of the Purchaser, identifying him/her as such. Before admission tickets are provided or sent, the Customer must also specify the specific user of the admission ticket in question in accordance with the following provisions, and the user will also be shown on the admission ticket in question (so-called hard personalisation). The first and last name of the user are specified on each admission ticket.
7.2 In the standard order procedure (5.), after payment in full (value date), the tickets can be called up by the Customer in the Customer’s personal login area (“My Festival”) at www.bayreuther-festspiele.de and can be printed out once personalisation (7.3.) has taken place. After personalisation, the tickets will also be provided digitally as a mobile ticket. The Customer will be informed of the value date. Should the Customer choose to send the tickets by post when ordering their tickets, the admission tickets will be sent as printed admission tickets via post at the Customer’s own risk to the specified shipping address following payment in full and once personalisation has been completed (7.4.). Additional fees per order (invoice) will be levied for shipments via post in accordance with Section 2.2. In general, shipping via post is only possible for orders within Germany and orders from other European countries.
7.3. The tickets provided at www.bayreuther-festspiele.de in the personal login area of the Customer must be personalised by the Customer by stating the first name and surname of the user in question. Only tickets which have been personalised in the name of the specific user and thus activated will be valid. The personalisation and activation of the tickets by the Customer must take place by the day of the performance in question; after this deadline, personalisation and activation of the tickets is no longer possible. Tickets that have been personalised can only be amended and assigned to another user by the BF ticket office in accordance with Section 8.2.
7.4. If the Customer chose postal delivery when ordering the tickets, the tickets can be personalised by the Customer in the Customer’s personal login area (“My Festival”) at www.bayreuther-festspiele.de once payment has been made in full by specifying the user in question. Only tickets personalised in the name of the specific user will be valid and sent by post. If the Customer does not have a personal login area, he/she can also personalise tickets offline using a corresponding form, which will be sent to the Customer together with the invoice – insofar as he/she has chosen to have the tickets sent by post and it is possible to make him/her an offer for purchasing admission tickets – and which he/she must return to the address specified in 6.1. In the case of online personalisation in accordance with sentence 1 above, the personalisation of the tickets by the Customer must take place by the day of the performance, and, in the case of offline personalisation in accordance with the sentence 2 above, it must take place no later than 30/06/2025 (receipt of the form by BF); once this deadline has passed, personalisation and postal dispatch of the tickets is no longer possible. The regulations under 7.3. sentences 4 and 5 apply accordingly.
7.5. The date, time and performance on the invoice and the admission tickets allocated and sent must be checked upon receipt. BF is to be informed immediately of any mistakes found when comparing the tickets with the order or invoice.
8. Returning and transferring tickets
8.1. In general, admission tickets already paid for can be neither returned nor exchanged. Any resale of tickets by the Customer is subject to an assignment prohibition in certain cases (10.4.). No replacement will be provided for expired tickets. This will also apply if the tickets have not been personalised and activated in a timely manner (7.3. and 7.4.).
8.2. Admission tickets personalised in accordance with Section 7.3 or 7.4. can only be transferred to another user by the BF ticket office at the request of the Customer. Handwritten changes to the user’s name by the Customer or other third parties or any associated deletions will render the ticket invalid. BF is entitled to charge a fee of EUR 5.00 for the transfer.
This will not apply if the Customer demonstrates objective reasons for why the transfer is necessary (e.g., medical certificate, death, etc.).
8.3. Holders of admission tickets which are part of the standard procedure that have not been personalised in accordance with Section 7.3. or 7.4. or that have not been amended in the correct manner in accordance with Section 8.2. may be refused entry and prevented from attending the performance by BF.
8.4. Changes to cast and crew, including the musical directors and the production teams, as well as other changes to the order of events of a performance will not entitle the holder to return admission tickets.
8.5 In the event of a performance being abandoned, the admission fee will only be refunded if at the time of abandonment no more than one act has been shown – this also applies in the case of Der fliegende Holländer or Das Rheingold if no more than one scene has been shown. The right to a refund will expire if the claim is not asserted to BF within two weeks of the performance in question in writing (at least electronic form).
8.6. If a performance is cancelled before it has started, the tickets affected by cancellation of the performance can be returned and the ticket price refunded in exchange; however, the refund will not include the fee of EUR 6.00 per seat sold (4 x EUR 6.00 per admission ticket for Der Ring des Nibelungen) nor any processing fee and/or fee for dispatch by post, if incurred. The right to a refund will expire if the claim is not asserted to BF within two weeks of the performance in question in writing (at least electronic form).
8.7. In the cases of Sections 8.5. and 8.6., any further claims or rights of the ticket holder or Purchaser are excluded.
9. Ticket loss
9.1. If an admission ticket is lost, an application for the issue of a replacement ticket can be made, for a fee, up to 30 minutes before the start of the performance at the BF ticket office, provided the visitor can prove and/or plausibly state which ticket was purchased and lost, specifying the exact seat. Only one such application can be made for each ticket. The issue of a replacement ticket (duplicate) can only be requested by the Customer to whom the ticket(s) was/were issued or by the personalised user upon presentation of a photo ID. In general, replacement tickets will only be issued to these persons. The fee to have a replacement ticket issued is EUR 5.00.
9.2. In the case of tickets ordered as part of the standard procedure, if two visitors present tickets for the same seat in a performance, the person to whom the ticket has been personalised will always have priority over the holder of the other ticket. In the case of tickets sent by post, if both the original ticket and a replacement ticket for the same seat have been presented by different visitors, the holder of the original ticket will always take priority over the holder of the replacement ticket. In both cases, the other ticket will not entitle the holder to allocation of another seat or a refund of the purchase price. In justified exceptional cases, BF can declare and/or recognise reverse prioritisation. In each case, the affected ticket holder shall neither be entitled to recognition of such an exceptional case nor shall have any claims against BF due to the recognition of such an exceptional case contrary to the general rule.
10. Resale and transfer of admission tickets
10.1. BF is sponsored by the delegates of the German Federal Government for Culture and Media, the Free State of Bavaria, the City of Bayreuth, the Gesellschaft der Freunde von Bayreuth e.V. (Society of Friends of Bayreuth e.V.) and the District of Upper Franconia. They feel obliged to ensure a balanced and fair price policy and endeavour to maintain and implement a socially viable price structure as well as fair distribution.
10.2. By accepting these conditions, the Purchaser declares that the admission tickets are being acquired solely for private use.
10.3. The Customer and Purchaser can only transfer his/her rights and obligations under the contract concluded with BF for attendance of an event (4.12.), and thus also the right to demand admission to the performance(s), to a third party by way of assignment of claims by the third party entering into the contract with BF in the place of the Purchaser, assuming all rights and obligations, and there is no prohibition of assignment within the meaning of the following provisions.
10.4. The resale of admission tickets is prohibited in the following cases (prohibition of assignment); consent will not be given in these cases:
a) In the event of the sale or transfer of admission tickets or the procurement of admission tickets for third par-ties if this occurs within the framework of commercial activities and/or for gain.
b) If tickets are sold via unauthorised internet platforms, such as, e.g., in particular, eBay or unauthorised online ticket exchanges (e.g., viagogo), or in the context of internet auctions not authorised by BF, in each case with the exception of sale by way of a so-called instant sale or in-stant purchase at a price that does not exceed the original price of the admission ticket, including the ticket fee and – if incurred – the attributable handling fee, plus such costs that have been or will be incurred by the seller as a result of the purchase and/or the resale of the ticket in this way (e.g., postage and/or, e.g., eBay fee or similar).
c) In the event of sale of tickets at a price which is higher than the original price of the tickets, including the ticket fee and – if incurred – the attributable handling fee, plus such costs that have been or will be incurred by the seller as a result of the purchase or resale of the tickets.
d) In the event of sale of tickets to make a profit or the act of procuring admission tickets in the name of a third party in order to make a profit by acting as a broker; in this respect, the aim of making a profit applies to the intention to sell the ticket at a price which exceeds the original price of the ticket, including the ticket fee and – if incurred – the attributable handling fee plus such costs that have been or will be incurred by the seller as a result of the purchase or resale of the tickets.
e) In the event of the transfer and/or sale of admission tickets for the purposes of advertising or marketing, as a bonus, promotional gift or prize/winning, or as part of a hospitality or travel package not authorised by the organiser.
f) In the event that the admission tickets are sold without reference to these General Terms and Conditions.
10.5. The resale or transfer of admission tickets subject to the conditions set out in Section 10.4. b) to f) remains unaffected.
10.6. Admission tickets that are resold and transferred after personalisation (7.3., 7.4.) must always be made out to the new user in accordance with Section 8.2., notwithstanding the above provisions in Sections 10.3. and 10.5.
10.7 BF may refuse to issue and send admission tickets to persons who have violated the above regulations in Sections 10.2. to 10.4. or who have attempted to resell tickets in violation of the above regulations in Sections 10.2. to 10.4. The same applies to people who deal in tickets commercially or for gain without the prior written consent of BF or who have sold or attempted to sell tickets from a previous festival season in violation of the applica-ble regulations regarding resale and passing on of tickets, or who make such tickets available to such persons. In these cases, BF will also be entitled to refuse any amendments to details on tickets in accordance with 10.6.; this applies regardless of who is requesting the transfer of the ticket. Admission tickets already offered and/or made available to the Customer for printing or sent to the Customer may be reclaimed and/or declared invalid (electronic blocking via the barcode) by BF in the event of a violation of the above regulations in Sections 10.2. to 10.4. This also applies in the case of attempts to sell tickets in violation of the above regulations in Sections 10.2. to 10.4.
10.8. Holders of blocked tickets may be denied entry and prevented from attending the performance by BF.
10.9. BF is not liable for the validity of admission tickets from other ticket providers or for their services or prices.
11. Starting times, admission and admission check
11.1. Only publications officially issued by BF, the website operated by BF (www.bayreuther-festspiele.de) and the admission tickets themselves contain authoritative information (date and starting times) about the performances. The right is reserved to make changes at short notice so as to postpone the start of the performance on the same day. BF bears no responsibility for the information in other publications.
11.2. After the beginning of the performance, visitors can only be let into the auditorium during an official break, for reasons of safety and out of consideration towards the performing artists and the other visitors. There may be delays during checks for admission to the Festspielhaus as well as longer waiting times in the cloakroom and/or cloakroom depot in front of the Festspielhaus as a result of the applicable safety requirements. Visitors are responsible for ensuring they arrive with sufficient time in advance. Delays caused as a result will not entitle visitors to enter the auditorium after the performance has started.
11.3. Visitors to BF performances are subject to the applicable legal, regulatory and official admission requirements. Due to official requirements for the purpose of obtaining an operating licence, more stringent requirements may apply than required by the law or regulations.
11.4. Regardless of the separate admission requirements in accordance with 11.3., visitors must show the following documents:
Admission to the event will generally be refused if the user noted on the admission ticket is not the same person as shown on the personal ID card/passport and/or if not all requested documents are shown.
11.5. BF is entitled to refuse admission to the event site or expel visitors from the event site for good cause, for example, in the event of clear symptoms of contagious diseases. This also applies if an admission ticket holder violates mandatory provisions of the safety and/or hygiene concept. There will be no refund of the purchase price in these cases.
12. Householder’s rights and restrictions on bringing objects
12.1 BF exercises its rights as the householder and proprietor in the Festspielhaus Bayreuth. It is entitled to issue expulsions and bans from the site as well as other suitable measures as part of its power to enforce house rules. In particular, visitors can be expelled from performances if they cause disturbance, bother other guests or, in any other serious manner or repeatedly, break the house rules or any conditions of use related to the event. Admission may be refused if there is a reasonable suspicion that the visitor will disrupt the performance or bother other visitors. There will be no refund of the purchase price in these cases.
12.2. The visitor may only occupy the seat which is stated on his/her ticket or the seat which the admittance staff allocates to him/her. If he/she has taken a seat for which he/she does not have a valid ticket – in particular, one that is personalised in his/her name – or which has not been allocated to him/her, BF may expel the visitor from the seat or even from the performance.
12.3. The private offering and reselling of admission tickets in the facilities and on the premises of Festspielhaus Bayreuth is prohibited.
12.4. Mobile phones, pagers and acoustic signalling devices of all kinds may only be taken into the auditorium if they are turned off.
12.5. Taking food and drinks into the auditorium and consuming them there is not permitted.
12.6. For reasons of animal welfare and space, guide dogs or other pets with corresponding functions cannot be taken into the auditorium. If notified in advance, BF will have admission staff ready to guide affected persons and allocate seats.
12.7. For safety reasons, taking bulky and – regardless of size – dangerous objects as well as seat cushions into the Festspielhaus is prohibited. Handbags are allowed up to a maximum size of 18 cm x 26 cm x 6 cm. In the event of deviating official safety requirements, those shall take precedence.
12.8. Smoking is prohibited in all publicly accessible rooms of the Festspielhaus Bayreuth.
13. Health protection and hygiene regulations
13.1. For the purpose of protecting the health of BF employees and other participants and visitors to the Bayreuther Festspiele, the Bayreuther Festspiele will observe and implement all legal, regulatory and official requirements applicable at the time.
The measures taken in each case are binding for the ticket Purchaser and the users of the admission tickets designated by him/her and supplement the provisions below.
13.2. In order to protect the health of BF employees and other participants and visitors to the Bayreuth Festival, BF shall be entitled to impose hygiene standards and rules of conduct in justified cases of danger to life and limb (e.g. epidemic, pandemic, etc.) at its own reasonable discretion, irrespective of any applicable legal, regulatory or official requirements, to impose hygiene standards and rules of conduct in this regard, such as the wearing of a mouth/nose mask including the requirement for such a mask (e.g. FFP2), the observance of distances or the use of disinfectants, as well as protective measures for the visit to the Festspielhaus and its adjoining buildings, which the user of the admission ticket is obliged to comply with.
13.3. Neither the Purchaser nor the user of the admission ticket in question shall have any claim to the implementation of corresponding hygiene and safety measures.
13.4. The safety and, if necessary, hygiene concept of the Bayreuther Festspiele is intended to reduce the risk of contagion of visitors and third parties with contagious diseases to an acceptable level. The risk of infection and, as a result, illness associated with any visit to a Performance or concert can, however, not be excluded. Therefore, BF’s liability for injury to the life, limb or health of a concert visitor resulting from the implementation of the safety and, if necessary, hygiene concept in connection with the event is excluded; this does not apply to damage caused by intentional or negligent action or omissions.
14. Prohibition on taking visual and audio recordings
Creating visual and audio recordings of any kind in the auditorium during performances is forbidden, not least for copyright reasons. Violations can result in claims for damages or measures in accordance with Section 12.1.
15. Audiovisual recordings and photographs by BF or third parties
15.1. If an audiovisual recording of a performance is created, the spectator may appear in the image as part of the audience. Even reflections may occur as a result of the scene. The spectator unreservedly consents to the use of this recording without limitation as to content, term or territory. This will not give rise to any claims of the af-fected spectator, including those relating to remuneration.
15.2. Upon acquiring an admission ticket or by attending a performance, the visitor furthermore declares his/her consent to BF, or any third parties commissioned or authorised by it, making audiovisual recordings and/or photo-graphic recordings in which the visitor can be recognised as a visitor to the performance, distributing these, and using them in a manner which is unlimited with respect to content, term and territory. This will not give rise to any claims – including claims for remuneration – on the part of the spectator concerned.
15.3. Purchasers of admission tickets and visitors of a performance are aware that other visitors may create photographic and audiovisual recordings, both in the Festspielhaus and on the festival premises, in which the visitor can be recognised as a visitor to the performance. BF assumes no liability for recordings of this kind; this applies, in particular, in the event that recordings are made publicly accessible online (e.g., social media platforms such as Facebook and the like). The regulation in Section 14. as well as any rights of the affected visitor against the third party which created the recording and/or made it publicly accessible will remain unaffected.
16. Liability
BF, its legal representatives and its vicarious agents shall only be liable for damage suffered by a visitor in the rooms or on the grounds of the Festspielhaus Bayreuth in cases of intent and gross negligence. This limitation of liability does not apply for claims based on injury to life, limb or health.
17. Newsletter
By registering for the Bayreuther Festspiele newsletter, the Customer agrees that the personal data he/she provides, in particular, the email address provided, as well as the personal order data, may be used by BF to present or offer the Customer both general and personalised advertising and/or special offers and/or services, including offers and services of BF in cooperation with third parties (e.g., sponsors). Should the Purchaser not (or no longer) wish to receive these advertisements or presentations, he/she can revoke his/her consent at any time. A notification in written form (electronic communication shall suffice) addressed to the contact details provided in the newsletter (e.g., email, fax, letter) or unsubscribing will suffice in order to do this. Customers can unsubscribe from the newsletter using the link at the end of each email.
18. Force majeure
18.1. Should force majeure render holding the Bayreuther Festspiele in general and/or specifically the implementation of the contractual event or performance(s) impossible, the obligations to which both parties are subject shall cease to apply.
18.2. “Force majeure” means the occurrence of an event or circumstances which are beyond the reasonable con-trol of the parties, which was/were unforeseeable at the time the contract was concluded and whose effects could not reasonably have been avoided or overcome by the parties.
18.3. Force majeure shall be presumed in the case of the following events: war (declared or undeclared), hostilities, attacks, acts of foreign enemies, large-scale military mobilisation; civil war, riots, rebellion and revolution, military or other seizure of power, insurrection, acts of terrorism, sabotage or piracy; currency and trade restrictions, embargoes, sanctions; lawful or unlawful official acts, compliance with laws or government orders, expropriation, confiscation of works, requisition, nationalisation; plagues, epidemics, pandemics, natural disasters or extreme natural events; explosions, fire, destruction of
equipment, prolonged failure of means of transport, telecommunications, information systems or power; general industrial unrest, such as boycotts, strikes and lockouts, slowdown strikes, and occupation of factories and buildings.
18.4. In the event that holding the Bayreuther Festspiele in general and/or implementing the contractual event or performance(s) in particular becomes impossible due to events and circumstances which constitute an effect or effects of the current COVID-19 pandemic, force majeure within the meaning of the above paragraphs shall not be precluded by the fact that these events or circumstances were foreseeable or could or had to be taken into consideration as possible at the time of conclusion of the contract. In this case, neither contractual party may claim that these events or circumstances were not beyond the reasonable control of the parties, that they were reasonably foreseeable at the time the contract was concluded, or that their effects could reasonably have been avoided or overcome by the parties.
19. Severability clause
In the event that provisions of these General Terms and Conditions of Business or Use are or become invalid, in whole or in part, this shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions. Any ineffective clause or partial clause will be replaced by a provision that comes as close as possible to the content of the ineffective provision.
Last updated: 01/09/2024
Signed Prof. Katharina Wagner, Ulrich Jagels
Managing Directors of Bayreuther Festspiele GmbH