Wagner-loving Merkel has night at opera with husband
German Chancellor Angela Merkel (R), her husband Joachim Sauer (L) and Bayreuth's Lord Mayor Brigitte Merk-Erbe arrive at the red carpet for the opening of the Bayreuth Wagner opera festival outside the Gruener Huegel (Green Hill) opera house in Bayreuth, Germany July 25, 2017. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle
BAYREUTH, Germany (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel walked the red carpet before the country's press on Tuesday as she attended the annual Bayreuth Wagner opera festival with her husband.
The pair attended the opening day of the month-long festival, which was founded by Wagner in 1876. The event has been a fixture on the couple's social calendar in recent years.
Both Merkel and her husband, Joachim Sauer, who generally stays out of the spotlight, are known to be big fans of the 19th century German composer's work.
People wait in the rain for German Chancellor Angela Merkel's arrival at the red carpet for the opening of the Bayreuth Wagner opera festival outside the Gruener Huegel (Green Hill) opera house in Bayreuth, Germany July 25, 2017. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle
(Writing by Mark Hanrahan in London)
German actor Gunther Maria Halmer and his wife Claudia arrive at the red carpet for the opening of the Bayreuth Wagner opera festival outside the Gruener Huegel (Green Hill) opera house in Bayreuth, Germany July 25, 2017. REUTERS/Michaela RehleGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel (C), Bayreuth's Lord Mayor Brigitte Merk-Erbe (L) and her husband Thomas arrive at the red carpet for the opening of the Bayreuth Wagner opera festival outside the Gruener Huegel (Green Hill) opera house in Bayreuth, Germany July 25, 2017. REUTERS/Michaela RehleGerman actor Udo Wachtveitl (R) arrives at the red carpet for the opening of the Bayreuth Wagner opera festival outside the Gruener Huegel (Green Hill) opera house in Bayreuth, Germany July 25, 2017. REUTERS/Michaela RehleQueen Silvia of Sweden (L) and Karin Seehofer arrive at the red carpet for the opening of the Bayreuth Wagner opera festival outside the Gruener Huegel (Green Hill) opera house in Bayreuth, Germany July 25, 2017. REUTERS/Michaela RehleBavarian State Premier Horst Seehofer (L) and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden arrive at the red carpet for the opening of the Bayreuth Wagner opera festival outside the Gruener Huegel (Green Hill) opera house in Bayreuth, Germany July 25, 2017. REUTERS/Michaela RehleGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives at the red carpet for the opening of the Bayreuth Wagner opera festival outside the Gruener Huegel (Green Hill) opera house in Bayreuth, Germany July 25, 2017. REUTERS/Michaela RehleGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives at the red carpet for the opening of the Bayreuth Wagner opera festival outside the Gruener Huegel (Green Hill) opera house in Bayreuth, Germany July 25, 2017. REUTERS/Michaela RehleBavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann and his wife Gerswid Terheyden arrive at the red carpet for the opening of the Bayreuth Wagner opera festival outside the Gruener Huegel (Green Hill) opera house in Bayreuth, Germany July 25, 2017. REUTERS/Michaela RehleGerman actress Michaela May (R) and television director Bernd Schadewald arrive at the red carpet for the opening of the Bayreuth Wagner opera festival outside the Gruener Huegel (Green Hill) opera house in Bayreuth, Germany July 25, 2017. REUTERS/Michaela RehleFormer German World Cup alpine ski racers Christian Neureuther (L) and Rosi Mittermaier, who are married, arrive at the red carpet for the opening of the Bayreuth Wagner opera festival outside the Gruener Huegel (Green Hill) opera house in Bayreuth, Germany July 25, 2017. REUTERS/Michaela RehleGerman Green Party chairwoman Claudia Roth (L) and Anton Hofreiter arrive at the red carpet for the opening of the Bayreuth Wagner opera festival outside the Gruener Huegel (Green Hill) opera house in Bayreuth, Germany July 25, 2017. REUTERS/Michaela RehleMedia cover themselves with umbrellas during the red carpet for the opening of the Bayreuth Wagner opera festival outside the Gruener Huegel (Green Hill) opera house in Bayreuth, Germany July 25, 2017. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle
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