The RING AWARD takes place in Graz, the capital city of Styria and Austria’s second largest city.
In 1899, today’s opera house – planned by architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer – was opened with its 1200 seats. To this day, the opera house impresses with its elegance and neo-baroque ambience. During an extensive renovation from 1983 to 1985, the building was carefully adapted with modern stage technology and has become a center of musical culture in Southern Austria. Oper Graz is considered one of the most beautiful opera houses in Europe.
Oper Graz provides rehearsal space for the semifinal and final of the RING AWARD, as well as a team of singers for the competition final.
Built in 1825, the Schauspielhaus Graz is one of the largest spoken theatres in Austria. Its program includes numerous stage plays, including many world premieres, digital theatre forms, guest performances, music events as well as discussion, mediation and cooperation formats. In addition to the Schauspielhaus, events take place in the Schauraum, the Konsole and the Salon im ersten Rang. The season runs from September to June and encompasses up to 20 premieres per season in the repertoire, supplemented by numerous special events and the “Digithalia – Festival für virtuelle Theaterformen Graz”. Andrea Vilter has been Managing Director of Schauspielhaus Graz since the 2023/24 season. She has set two programmatic priorities for the repertoire: The presentation of Austrian drama and the questioning and expansion of an established canon. The repertoire thus focuses on the presentation of material by Austrian authors and asks which authors that have been forgotten in the history of performance can be rediscovered today.
The RING AWARD final will take place on the main stage (Schauspielhaus) of Schauspielhaus Graz.
With its 6-member ensemble and numerous guests, NEXT LIBERTY, under the directorship of Michael Schilhan, creates an exciting and varied program for around 45,000 spectators of all ages each season and, with its combination of well-known material and established artists, new plays and young talents, international guest performances and co-productions, it is one of the most successful children’s and youth theatres in the German-speaking world. For over 20 years NEXT LIBERTY has made theatre tangible for children and young people, adults and the young at heart, families and friends. The theatre has not only established itself as a Styrian cultural brand, but has also become a unique place with a special meaning for young people, parents and teachers, as well as for all people who are interestedin all things associated with youth. NEXT LIBERTY’s touring productions are successfully invited to show at other venues in Austria and abroad (including Vienna, Lower Austria, Burgenland, Carinthia, Salzburg, South Tyrol, Switzerland, Germany and the USA) several weeks a year
The RING AWARD semifinal will take place on the stage of NEXT LIBERTY.