When does Hoffmann's Tales take place in Koblenz?

The performance begins on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at 6:00 PM.

Where will the opera be performed?

The performance takes place in the theater tent of Theater Koblenz on the fortress plateau of Ehrenbreitstein Fortress.

In which language will the opera be sung?

Hoffmann's Tales will be performed in French with German surtitles.

Is the theater tent accessible?

The theater tent is designed to be accessible and offers ground-level wheelchair seats in the front row. Wheelchair seats should be requested early when ordering tickets.

Is there a work introduction for the performance?

Yes. A roughly 20-minute VR work introduction to Hoffmann's Tales is also available and ends in time before the performance begins.

Is there a cloakroom in the theater tent?

In the foyer of the theater tent, there is a supervised cloakroom as well as audience gastronomy and sanitary facilities.

Hoffmann's Tales live: Offenbach's dream world between love, sound, and madness

Name: Hoffmann's Tales
Start: 2026-11-08T18:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-11-08T18:00:00+01:00
Location: Theater Koblenz | Theaterzelt

Hoffmann's Tales: A fantastic opera between love, ecstasy, and madness

On November 8, 2026, the theater tent of the Theater Koblenz transforms into a nightly resonance chamber for Jacques Offenbach's fantastic opera Hoffmann's Tales. The poet, dreamer, and drinker Hoffmann reflects on the great love stories of his life in a night permeated by alcohol, memory, and longing. What begins as a memory grows into a feverish dream journey through the inner spaces of an artist.

Three women, an incurable longing

Olympia appears as an artificially created, flawless woman, whose perfection fascinates and disturbs. Antonia is a singer whose voice costs her life. Giulietta, the seductive Venetian, finally leads Hoffmann into a world where every rational certainty melts away. Three figures become mirrors of a single longing: a love that inspires and destroys Hoffmann.

A production about the price of art

Director Anja Nicklich places the price of art and the deep desire that drives creative people at the center of her production. Offenbach's last opera unfolds as a downward spiral between romance and madness, heavenly sound and nocturnal hallucination. Dramaturgy, acting, and music theater intertwine into a set design of memory, where love, inspiration, and guilt remain inseparably connected.

Offenbach's music as an acoustic space of memory

The musical direction is taken over by Sejoon Park. The State Orchestra of the Rhineland Philharmonic shapes the multifaceted acoustic space, where lyrical melodies, dramatic intensification, and uncanny dream sequences converge. The opera will be performed in the French language with German surtitles. A specially developed VR work introduction additionally takes the audience into the creation history of the piece and encounters Olympia, Giulietta, and Antonia even before the actual drama unfolds.

Theater atmosphere in the theater tent

The theater tent on the fortress plateau of the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress offers a rising tribune with numbered, cushioned seats and nearly optimal visibility of the stage. The surtitling system and hearing support deepen the stage experience. A foyer with audience gastronomy, supervised cloakroom, and sanitary facilities complements the theater evening. The theater tent is designed to be accessible and features ground-level wheelchair seats in the front row.

Conclusion: An opera evening between dream and abyss

Hoffmann's Tales combines grand opera, romantic imagery, and psychological depth. The audience can expect an intense stage experience with compelling music, dark theater atmosphere, and a production that makes the creative ecstasy as visible as its destructive side. Those who wish to experience Offenbach's fantastic opera live will find an evening full of light, sound, and moving audience reactions in the theater tent.