BERLIN (AP) — The annual Bayreuth opera festival is underway in Germany, with Sweden's king and queen joining Chancellor Angela Merkel for a performance of Richard Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nuernberg."

Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf and the German-born Queen Silvia were among the guests posing on the red carpet under umbrellas as they arrived in Bayreuth, the Bavarian town where the festival devoted to Wagner's works takes place.

Merkel and her husband, Joachim Sauer, are regular attendees at the annual celebration of Wagner's work.

This year's festival, which runs until Aug. 28, opened Tuesday with a new production of "Die Meistersinger von Nuernberg" by Barrie Kosky.