Irene Girkinger to remain director of the Tyrolean State Theatre until 2033

Mattle pointed to the "Umbruch" in the theater world. In light of these upheavals, it is "umso wichtiger, dass die Gespräche und Prozesse der vergangenen Monate Früchte getragen haben". Anzengruber was also full of praise: "Mit künstlerisch herausragenden Theaterproduktionen ist es gelungen, das treue Stammpublikum ebenso zu begeistern wie zahlreiche neue Besucherinnen und Besucher für das Tiroler Landestheater zu gewinnen."

Conflicts and Mediation

The fact that the contract extension was not a foregone conclusion is shown by a look at the backstory. In the summer of 2024, a heated conflict had erupted between Girkinger and the managing director Markus Lutz over the direction of Tyrol's cultural flagship. Lutz spoke at the time in an interview of a "großen Vertrauensverlust" among subscribers, many of whom could "mit dem Programm nicht mehr mitgehen".

Mattle and Anzengruber eventually stepped in and imposed a "Mediationsprozess" on the two. In March 2025, under pressure from the owners' representatives, a working agreement was forged between Girkinger and Lutz. Anzengruber let it be known: "Die letzte Saison hat eindrucksvoll bestätigt, was möglich ist, wenn alle Mitarbeitenden mit großem Engagement, gegenseitigem Vertrauen und einem gemeinsamen Ziel an einem Strang ziehen."

Girkinger herself announced that she would continue on the path taken. She is "hoch motiviert, den eingeschlagenen Weg gemeinsam mit dem künstlerischen Leitungsteam und dem geschäftsführenden kaufmännischen Direktor Dr. Markus Lutz als verlässlichem und kompetentem Partner fortzusetzen".

Balance Sheet after Three Years

The balance sheet after almost three years is positive from the director's perspective. She spoke in a statement of an "engagierten Mehrspartenhaus, das sich mutig den Fragen und Problemstellungen unserer Zeit stellt". With a versatile and aesthetically new program as well as the promotion of young talent, the house has been positioned "stark und zukunftsorientiert" and has attracted new audience segments.

This assessment is supported by the capacity utilization figures. In the 2025/2026 season, capacity utilization rose to 84 percent across all venues. In the "Großen Haus", the increase was even more significant, namely from 71 to 81 percent. The increases are considered a clear signal that the house is reaching audiences again after the turbulence of recent years.

Outlook on the New Season

With the extension, the owners' representatives are banking on continuity at the top of the house. The five-year contract extension gives Girkinger planning security until the 2032/33 season and makes it possible to further develop the established programmatic line on a long-term basis.

Girkinger is thus one of the few directors in Austria to be confirmed in office after a publicly played-out leadership crisis. With the contract extension, the Tyrolean owners' representatives clearly stood behind the artistic direction and the leadership duo of Girkinger/Lutz.

The next season at the Landestheater will start in the fall of 2026. By then, the working agreement between the directorate and the management is to be translated into regular programming work. Observers also see the contract extension as a signal to Tyrol's independent scene that the Landestheater will remain stably positioned as a cultural anchor of the city of Innsbruck.

For the staff of the house, the decision means above all one thing after the uncertainties of recent months: planning security. Ongoing projects can thus be continued and new formats, especially for young audiences, can be developed at a calm pace.