No dress code, no stiff atmosphere and no entry fees: Thousands flocked to a Viennese park Sunday as the Vienna State Opera opened its 2025-26 season with a star-studded open-air gala concert for the first time.

The free, open-air concert was the state opera's latest effort to "open the house to all – especially new listeners", it said in a statement.

Among the world-class singers performing were Latvian mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca, German tenor Jonas Kaufmann, Finnish soprano Camilla Nylund and French tenor Benjamin Bernheim.

"I'm very happy that I can be a part of such an event because our goal is to communicate with people, regardless their race, nationality, the political situation, and the cultural differences," Garanca told AFP.

"I find it really great that the house makes a step

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