Richard Wagner 's theater and home in Bayreuth, Germany. On 17 April 1870, Wagner had visited Bayreuth as he had read about the Margrave Opera House whose great stage seemed fitting for his works. However, the orchestra pit would not accommodate the large number of musicians required for the performance of the Ring. So, he built his Festspielhaus instead. The town supported him, making a piece of land available on the Grüner Hügel. At the same time Wagner acquired property at Hofgarten to build his own house, which he called Wahnfried. On 22 May 1872 the cornerstone for the Festival Hall was laid and, on 13 August 1876, it was officially opened for the first Bayreuth Festival.