German composer Richard Wagner's momentous operatic extravaganza - the Ring Cycle - will be unveiled at the Ulumbarra Theatre on Friday, March 24.

It will kick-start a month-long festival of all things Wagnerian which includes musical recitals, talks, exhibitions, dinners and special events.

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The $5 million Melbourne Opera production of the Ring Cycle will see the entire cycle - comprising four operas totalling 17 hours in length - performed three times at Ulumbarra between March 24 and April 30.

The Ring cycle is based on Norse mythology and tells the story of knights, dragons, gods and other creatures in a search for a magical golden ring.

Between the performances, a series of special events will take place at various Bendigo locations so locals and visitors can immerse themselves in Wagner's retelling of Norse mythology.

Among the unique events is a recital by the Melbourne Opera Chamber Orchestra 60 metres underground in the Central Deborah Gold Mine.

Down the Mine with Siegfried Idyll will see guests don a miner's helmet for a 90-second lift-ride into the mine to hear the orchestra perform.

The program will include a performance of Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder performed by soprano Lee Abrahmsen, who is performing the roles of Freia and Sieglinde in the Ring Cycle.

The mine is at a consistent 12 to 14 degrees, so guests have been asked to dress warmly, wear flat enclosed footwear for puddles and muddy, uneven surfaces and to use the toilet before venturing underground as there are no facilities within the mine.

Langley Estate will be hosting a series of recitals throughout the Ring Cycle Festival. Soprano Merlyn Quaife and pianist Thomas Heywood will perform works of composers who preceded Wagner and set the foundation for his music and style, such as Bach, Hadyn, Mozart and Beethoven.

The Ring Cycle Festival is also offering guests the chance to be part of a Gala Dinner on stage at Ulumbarra Theatre.

This exclusive behind-the-scenes gala evening will feature special guest performances and a surprise appearance along with a three-course dinner on stage to reflect Bendigo's City of Gastronomy status.

The Capital is hosting a theatrical performance entitled Wagner in Paris, which tells the captivating story of the composer's early years in 'the city of love' with his first wife Minna.

The venue is also the setting for an illustrated talk entitled Lola Montez: The Wagner and Bendigo Connections by Geoffrey Seidel.

It tells the tale of exotic dancer and actress Lola Montez who performed to packed houses in Bendigo, Ballarat, Castlemaine, Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide during the gold-rush in 1855-56

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But previously she had cut a swathe through the European artistic, aristocratic and Royal elites and, unintentionally, played a key role in the Richard Wagner story.

She was in fact an imposter and her life is full of incident. This talk aims to be a light, locally-focused diversion and will be colourfully illustrated, mainly covering the Australian and Wagner-related connections.

Later next month, La Trobe Art Institute will host Wagner Symposium: Rivers of Gold! Wagner in Bendigo.

The symposium will delve into Wagner's works through a series of talks given by leading musicologists and performers.

And there's historic walks about the role that Germans played in the development of Bendigo throughout the years.

The Ring Cycle Festival is expected to be a huge economic boom for Bendigo and the surrounding region, with visitors flying in from interstate and across the world to be part of the month-long spectacular.

First cycle: March 24, 26 and March 31, April 2

Second cycle: April 7, 9 and April 14, 16

Third cycle: April 21, 23 and April 28, 30

Down the mine: April 1

Gala dinner: March 25, April 15, 22

Symposium: April 22

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