Big overrun

Wolfgangsee stage with budget problems

The new stage on the shores of Lake Wolfgang is once again causing a stir.(Bild: Betriebs GmbH Andreas Haselgruber)

After several upsets surrounding the Wolfgangseebühne, a balance sheet has now been drawn up. In particular, the budget was grossly miscalculated at the beginning. Construction and production turned out to be hundreds of thousands of euros more expensive than planned.

Despite ten sold-out performances, the 2.65 million euro budget was exceeded by 650,000 euros. Of the 3.3 million euros, 1.6 million euros are still outstanding. The "Wolfgang 2024" association, with the three municipalities and Wolfgangsee Tourismus GmbH, presented the results on Wednesday.

The decision to build the lake stage and to commission and perform the musical play "Wolf, the Mystical" by Franzobel "has proven to be the right decision and a pioneering one for the cultural and economic development of the Wolfgangsee region", stated the association's chairman, St. Wolfgang Mayor Franz Eisl (ÖVP).

He justified the additional costs with price increases from the start of the project to its implementation. Inflation alone had amounted to a good 20 percent during this period. Another price driver was the investment in a "solid jetty facility for Wolfgangsee shipping", which had not been budgeted for, although the audience could only reach the stage by boat.

Stage to be used at the end of the season in 2025
In total, after the first performance year, minus the subsidies of 500,000 euros each from the states of Salzburg and Upper Austria as well as the financial contributions of around 300,000 euros from the three municipalities and Wolfgangsee Tourismus GmbH and this year's income, 1.6 million euros are still outstanding. The three operating municipalities therefore had to decide on guarantees of 450,000 euros each for the specially founded Wolfgang Betriebs gGmbH. Nevertheless, the balance sheet was positive, as more than 55 percent of the total investment was recouped in the first year.

The plan for next year is to perform on the stage at the end of the season in May/June and September/October. Under discussion are "Wolf, the Mystical" and/or the "Weiße Rössl". It is unlikely that this will happen under the commercial director of the Salzkammergut-Seebühne, Christian Meyer, and his partner, architect Eduard Neversal. They have already offered their resignation.