ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Why Leftists Should Attend Bayreuth Festival

opinion-review · 2026-07-24

Axel Brüggemann argues that leftists should attend the Bayreuth Festival, countering the perception that it is a right-wing event. He highlights that Richard Wagner was a radical critic of power, money, and property, as interpreted by George Bernard Shaw in his Wagner Brevier. Wagner's friend Mikhail Bakunin was a revolutionary, and Ludwig Feuerbach was inspired by his work. Brüggemann's documentary on the global Wagner cult includes a discussion with Stephen Fry about Wagner's antisemitism.

Key facts

  • Axel Brüggemann made a documentary about the global Wagner cult.
  • Brüggemann spoke with Stephen Fry about Wagner's antisemitism.
  • George Bernard Shaw's Wagner Brevier is recommended reading for leftists at Bayreuth.
  • Shaw saw Wagner as a radical critic of power, money, and property.
  • Wagner's Ring des Nibelungen depicts the destruction of the ruling class.
  • Wagner's best friend from revolutionary times was Mikhail Bakunin.
  • Ludwig Feuerbach was inspired by Wagner's work.
  • The article argues leftists should not leave Bayreuth to the right.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • Bayreuth Festival
  • CSU

Locations

  • Bayreuth
  • Germany

Sources