Bregenzer Festspiele

Founded in 1946 in Bregenz, on the shore of Lake Constance, this opera festival is known for its floating stage, the Seebühne, where monumental opera sets appear to rise directly out of the water. The audience sits in lakeside grandstands holding roughly 7,000 people and watches performances outdoors at dusk, and a covered Festspielhaus, added in 1980, hosts further productions.