Name: Fin de siècle
Start: 2026-06-14T11:00:00
Location: Casino Bern

Wei Zhong Lu

Wen Lu-Hu

Thomas Korks

Andreas Graf

Bühnen Bern

For racist reasons, Leonora's father disapproves of her relationship with the stranger Alvaro. The two, however, refuse to let go of each other and decide to flee. In doing so, Alvaro unwittingly becomes the father's murderer. Leonora's brother seeks revenge for his father, and a cycle of violence ensues. La forza del destino is Giuseppe Verdi's most expansive opera: a spectacular portrayal of close family ties in times of war, of the Church, of escapism – like a painting by Brueghel. And no matter how much the protagonists resist, they experience life and the world as determined by fate, without escape and without hope for peace and forgiveness.

La forza del destino

City Theatre, Bern

"Welcome to the jungle, we got fun and games," as Guns N' Roses sing. Perhaps one could say that the jungle is the symbol of wildness; that the jungle is where the dividing line between wolf and man runs; that the jungle is a metaphor for the merciless logic by which the body has become a post-digital commodity; that perhaps this body should simply try a little comfort for once—on delivery bikes, in coltan mines, or on the scaffolding of construction sites; and that this body could, after all, be human. Perhaps.

Mowgli

Vidmarhallen

With the Laboratoire Suisse de la Danse, we continue our popular series of experiments. Inspired by the stimulant LSD, discovered in Basel by the Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann, this format offers our audience colorful short trips into our dance universe. The venue Vidmar + becomes our laboratory, where our ensemble experiments with movement improvisation and presents excerpts from its current repertoire.

Laboratoire Suisse de la Danse

On this musical journey to the city of love, the program includes works by Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, as well as the rarely heard Quintet in A major by Jean Cras, who during his lifetime not only pursued a career as a composer but also as an admiral in the French Navy. Unfortunately, this concert had to be cancelled in October. We are all the more pleased to be able to present this program to you now.

Salon Paris

Casino Bern

What lies beyond the measurable? With this question in mind, we commissioned two choreographers to delve into a world that transcends all that is perceptible and empirical. In their new pieces, Sidonie Fossé and Rachelle Anaïs Scott explore the metaphysical potential of bodies in motion. They investigate first reasons and ultimate principles, the meaning and purpose of all existence, or even reality itself.

Metaphysics

Vidmar Ballettsaal

The city theater opens its foyer doors and invites you to Argentine Tango. Dance on beautiful parquet flooring with rotating DJs in traditional tandas. Whether you're curious or a seasoned dancer, everyone is welcome! A short introductory crash course will be offered from 6:00 to 6:45 pm for those who want to try their first steps. The bar will be open. 

Milonga del Teatro with DJ Martin Lebrero

Finally, the hunting license for the black rhinoceros has arrived, for which Hunter White paid an obscene sum on the black market. Money isn't his motivation; he's ecstatic at the prospect of finally hunting number five of his Big Five and taking it home as a trophy. 

trophy

Kim de l'Horizon's meteoric rise is unparalleled: After her debut novel, *Blutbuch* (Blood Book ), landed on the shortlist for the German Book Prize in 2022, it was nominated in Switzerland, and after the German Book Prize, it also won the Swiss Book Prize. Since then, Kim de l'Horizon has been causing quite a stir throughout the cultural world – and rightly so.

Blood Book

Wonder Time  tells the story of growing up in dictatorial Romania – of confinement and fear, but also of longing, love, and the dream of freedom. With wit and melancholy, Cătălin Dorian Florescu, in his debut novel, describes everyday life amidst hardship and hope – always against the backdrop of his planned escape from the dictatorship. Years later, Alin lives in Switzerland and reflects on his past. Arriving in a new country becomes the central moment of his memories: freedom means security, but also alienation, language barriers, and life with a migration background. The text reminds us how fragile freedom is – and how profoundly origin and memory shape life in the present. 

Acting Solo #2: Wonder Time

City Theatre Mansard

Swiss soprano Nicole Wacker, winner of the Eduard Tschumi Prize in 2024, presents vocal music from the early Baroque period in her matinee concert – by Barbara Strozzi and Claudio Monteverdi.

Carte Blanche for Nicole Wacker (Eduard Tschumi Prize winner 2024)

It's a veritable coup! The grand master of contemporary Italian opera is bringing the world premiere of his latest ancient work to the Bern Opera: A flash of light flickers in the darkness, the signal fire on the horizon, announcing Agamemnon's arrival in his homeland. The king returns victorious from the Trojan War, but a broken man. As spoils of war, Agamemnon brings Cassandra, the prophetess whose visions are never believed. Upon her arrival, she sees blood flowing.

Matinee at L'Agamennone

Founded in Vienna in 2019 and based on the principles of “chaos” in art, science, and philosophy, the Chaos String Quartet has quickly established itself on the international music scene. The ensemble, comprised of musicians from Germany, Hungary, Italy, and the Netherlands, has been selected as a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist for 2023–2025. As part of this program, they frequently record for BBC Radio 3 and perform at some of the UK’s most prestigious festivals and concert halls, including Wigmore Hall, the Cheltenham Music Festival, Britten Pears Arts, and the Norfolk and Norwich Festival.