When the opera is reflected in the lake: Liebherr 150 EC-B flat-top crane erects the stage set for “La traviata”

In July 2026, Verdi’s “La traviata” will premiere on the Bregenz Festival’s Lake Stage. Months before the first performance, work is already underway on the set design, which director Damiano Michieletto and set designer Paolo Fantin have conceived as a shattered mirror above Lake Constance. A Liebherr 150 EC-B 8 Litronic, mounted on an undercarriage anchored in the water, was used to position the steel structure and lift the components.

At its highest point, the mirror wall rises 25 metres above the water’s surface and covers around 700 square metres. It is composed of 86 individual panels, which were prepared in the assembly hall as milled wooden components covered with printed film. Two of the panels can be opened hydraulically, whilst others move during the performance. Video sequences will later be played on the mirrored surfaces. The 1,400-square-metre water basin from the previous production, “Der Freischütz”, will continue to be used. A total of 28 companies are involved in constructing the lake stage.

Flat-top crane for construction directly by the lake

The 150 EC-B 8 Litronic being used is a flat-top crane, mounted on an undercarriage anchored in the water. On the platform, the flat-top crane, with a hook height of 32.8 metres and a reach of 55 metres, was used to position the steel girders and lift components for the mirror wall. The compact design facilitates use on the waterside construction site, where several trades are working in parallel.

Construction work on the lake stage continued until early April 2026, and rehearsals will begin on 17 June. The premiere of “La traviata” will take place on 22 July 2026. There are 28 performances scheduled up to 23 August 2026, with around 188,000 tickets available. The performances on the lake have been sold out since Easter – earlier than ever before in the festival’s 80-year history.

Overall, the Liebherr 150 EC-B 8 Litronic, which was hired from Liebherr Österreich Vertriebs- und Service GmbH, played a key role in the smooth and timely construction of the spectacular floating stage in Bregenz. Its high lifting capacity, long reach and compact design enabled precise and efficient work on the complex stage structure. It thus made a decisive contribution to ensuring that the visionary production of “La traviata” was technically feasible at all and ready in time for the premiere.