A word from the presidents

Dear friends of the Wagner societies,

The Belgian Richard Wagner Societies are expecting you in Brussels from 2 to 6 November 2023 for the congress of the Internationale Wagner Verband, which we hope will be exciting and entertaining.

After the Covid years and the many cancellations, we think it will be important to meet again for this event.

It will be an opportunity to discover Das Rheingold, which will inaugurate the new Ring in Brussels, directed by Alain Altinoglu and staged by Romeo Castellucci. Subsequent Ring days will be staged separately until December 2024. Unfortunately, it does not appear that the entire Ring will be performed in a single cycle in the future.

Thanks to our privileged relationship with the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie we can offer you a priority booking before the opening of sales to the public on 21 May 2023.  We have reserved 1st, 2nd and 3rd category seats for the performance of Das Rheingold on Friday 3 November (evening) and Sunday 5 November (matinee). However, the number of seats is limited and seats will be allocated in the category requested in the order of application.

The congress will be held at the Plaza Hotel **** in the centre of Brussels, where the gala dinner will be held.  We have negotiated with the hotel a very affordable price for the luxury rooms.  On our website in the “practical information” section, you will find two direct booking links, one with the possibility of cancellation, the other, more advantageous, without cancellation.

The proposed programme will allow participants to discover the different sides of Brussels, which is undoubtedly one of the capitals of Art-Nouveau, with visits to houses that are the work of the great architect Victor Horta.  As a European capital, we plan to visit the district and the headquarters of the European institutions. Finally, we will develop the different aspects of Wagnerism in the 19th century during the symposium at the Monnaie and during the visit to the museums.

During this stay, we will discover the artistic treasures of Bruges, known as the Venice of the North, and end with a concert at the Concertgebouw.

For those who wish to extend their stay, we have planned to offer you a choice between Antwerp, Waterloo and Brussels Art-Nouveau. The visit to Antwerp will allow you to discover, among other things, the Steen Castle where Wagner set the scene for Lohengrin and above all its artistic treasures (Rubens, Van Dyck, Jordaens…).  In Waterloo, we have planned a visit to the battlefield where the fate of Europe was decided in 1815 and which, in addition to its hilltop and its exceptional panorama, has a fascinating museum illustrating the terrible day of 18 June 1815. Finally, we have also planned to repeat the visit to Brussels, the centre of Art-Nouveau.

When and how to register?

The individual registration fee is 85€ until 1 June (thereafter it will be 95€ per person) to cover the organisational costs as well as the statutory session and the workshop on November 3rd.

Registrations can only be made by using the electronic form available in the “registration” tab. If you are using a tablet or your phone, you have to click on the 3 horizontal bars in the upper right corner to find the “registration” tab.

For each booked and paid activity, you will receive a ticket to download, print or keep on your phone.

Please note that these tourist activities can only take place if a sufficient number of participants are registered. If an activity is cancelled, we will notify you and refund the price paid.

 We look forward to welcoming you in Belgium for an unforgettable and exciting stay.