Zagreb Opera Festival records sold-out performances ahead of the program finale
The fourth edition of the international Zagreb Opera Festival has entered the second half of its program amid strong audience interest and a series of sold-out performances. According to the official schedule of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb available on September 16, 2026, the performance of John Blow's opera Venus and Adonis, held on September 15 on the HNK2 stage, was sold out, while the guest performance by the Slovene National Theatre Maribor of Delibes's opera Lakmé, scheduled for September 17, was also marked as sold out. The performance of the children's opera Gita and the Hidden World, announced for September 19, is sold out as well. The final gala concert on September 20 at 7:30 p.m., featuring Piotr Beczała, Marigona Qerkezi, and the soloists and Orchestra of the Croatian National Theatre Opera in Zagreb, was still listed in the official schedule on September 16 with tickets available for purchase.
The festival runs from September 11 to 20 and brings together opera houses, ensembles, conductors, directors, and soloists from several European countries. The organizer, the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, designed this year's edition as a ten-day program featuring more than thirty events, ranging from major opera productions to chamber, educational, and professional programs. For the first time, the program is taking place across three festival venues: the main stage of the historic Croatian National Theatre building, its foyer, and the new HNK2 stage in Božidar Adžija Street. In this way, the festival has expanded its range of formats and moved part of its program beyond the traditional model of a large-scale opera evening.
From Verdi's Aida to European guest performances
The fourth edition opened on September 11 with Verdi's Aida, an international co-production by the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, Teatro Massimo in Palermo, and the Csokonai National Theatre in Debrecen. According to an announcement by the Croatian National Theatre, the performance was conducted by Pier Giorgio Morandi, chief conductor of the Croatian National Theatre Opera, directed by Mario Pontiggia, with Italian tenor Stefano La Colla appearing in the role of Radames. The opening immediately highlighted one of the festival's main programming directions: connecting the Zagreb ensemble with European opera houses and artists through guest performances and co-productions.
One of the central guest performances took place on September 14, when the Polish Royal Opera from Warsaw performed Rossini's The Italian Girl in Algiers. The production was conducted by Dawid Runtz and directed by Jitka Stokalska. The Croatian National Theatre states that the guest performance continues the cooperation between the two institutions, which during 2026 also included the chamber program Opera Buffa. Such exchanges are important to the festival's profile because its program is built not only on individual guest appearances, but also on partnerships that continue beyond the festival period.
Particular attention was attracted by the performance of Venus and Adonis on September 15 at HNK2. The work is by English Baroque composer John Blow, and the Zagreb performance was presented by the Spanish vocal ensemble Cantoría, the Croatian Baroque Ensemble, and the Chamber Choir under the direction of Jorge Losana. In its announcement, the Croatian National Theatre emphasized that this was the first performance of the opera in Zagreb, as well as Cantoría's first opera production. The official schedule marked the performance as sold out, further confirming audience interest in more rarely performed early Baroque repertoire, and not only in the best-known 19th-century titles.
Lakmé from Maribor sold out before the performance
The next major opera title arrives on September 17, when the Slovene National Theatre Maribor performs Delibes's Lakmé on the main stage of the Croatian National Theatre. The performance begins at 6 p.m., with Mojca Lavrenčič conducting and Pier Francesco Maestrini directing. According to the official Croatian National Theatre schedule checked on September 16, the performance is sold out. The guest appearance further strengthens the connection between the Zagreb and Maribor opera companies, and the Croatian National Theatre notes that cooperation between the two houses during 2026 also included the co-production of Wagner's Tannhäuser, which premiered in Zagreb in May.
The sold-out status of Lakmé is particularly significant because it is a guest production from the French repertoire being performed in the middle of the working week, rather than a festival premiere in a weekend slot. The opera itself is known for its demanding vocal parts and combination of lyrical and coloratura elements, but in its communications the organizer places the main emphasis on artistic exchange with SNG Maribor. In the broader festival context, the production connects two opera communities from neighboring countries and demonstrates how the festival uses Zagreb as a meeting place for productions that already have their own international trajectory.
September 16 program focuses on audiences beyond the main stage
The central program on September 16 is not a major evening opera, but rather a series of activities devoted to audience development and accessibility of the arts. At 10 a.m., the Croatian National Theatre is organizing the second edition of the International Audience Development Forum titled Our Audience of the Future. According to the organizer's announcement, the forum brings together international speakers and experts from the cultural sector and addresses ways of attracting new audiences, building long-term relationships with different communities, and exploring how artistic content can be made more accessible to new generations. The first edition was held in 2025 and, according to data from the Croatian National Theatre, brought together more than one hundred theatre professionals, researchers, artists, and other experts.
On the same day, the Opera 65+ program also continues, with members of the Croatian National Theatre Opera Studio and scholarship recipients performing in homes for older people. The first concert was held on September 15 at the Centar Home for Older People, while the second was announced for September 16 at the Medveščak Home for Older People. The organizer describes the program as an attempt to bring opera music to audiences who are not always able to visit the theatre regularly. In this way, the festival does not limit its concept of accessibility to lower prices, open events, or alternative venues, but literally takes part of its program outside the theatre building.
The festival expands toward children, young people, and new formats
This year's program shows that the organizers are also trying to present opera to audiences who do not regularly follow the standard repertoire of major opera houses. In the foyer of the Croatian National Theatre, the children's opera Gita and the Hidden World by composer Borna Erceg is being performed, created in cooperation with Mala scena Theatre and directed by Buga Marija Šimić Milošev. The production was performed on September 12 and 13, while the September 19 performance is marked as sold out on the official schedule. On September 12, HNK2 also hosted the French Compagnie Minute Papillon with the production The Cook Opera!, a co-production of the Tous en Son festival and Festival d'Aix-en-Provence that combines music, theatre, and humor in a format designed to bring opera closer to a broader audience.
HNK2 also hosted the inaugural concert of the Dunja Vejzović Music Centre on September 13. According to announcements by the Croatian National Theatre and Croatian Radiotelevision, the centre was launched on the initiative of celebrated opera artist Dunja Vejzović with the aim of promoting opera and encouraging the development of young singers and musicians. A number of established soloists performed at the concert alongside the Croatian Radiotelevision Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Valentin Egel. The official festival schedule marked the event as sold out.
More than thirty events and a new Audience Award
The main opera program represents only one part of this year's schedule. The festival includes presentations of books and recordings, opera quizzes, music listening sessions, professional meetings, and conferences. For September 17, HNK2 has announced the international conference Green Culture: From Creative Vision to Systemic Change, dedicated to the role of culture in responding to environmental and climate challenges, while on the same day the Croatian National Theatre foyer will host a presentation of Siniša Vuković's book on the operatic work of Jakov Gotovac. A presentation of Darko Lukić's book Unclaimed Memories, Unsolicited Narratives: Mainstreaming the Marginality in Croatian Drama and Theatre has been announced for September 18.
Another new feature is the "Zinka Kunc Milanov" Audience Award. According to the rules published by the Croatian National Theatre, the award will go to the visiting production from the main festival program with the highest average audience rating. Visitors can vote after performances via a QR code and a short form, and the winner is expected to be announced the day after the festival ends. Introducing this model of voting turns the audience from passive observers into participants in the festival's evaluation process, while clearly separating the audience award from professional criticism and institutional awards.
Ahead of this year's edition, the Croatian National Theatre also published data stating that over the course of its development the festival has attracted more than 20,000 spectators and more than 1,500 artists. The organizer emphasizes international cooperation as one of the event's fundamental principles. In 2026, the festival is taking place on three stages for the first time, while a year earlier the Croatian National Theatre Opera in Zagreb received the "Milka Trnina" Diploma from the Croatian Society of Music Artists. These figures provide a broader context for the growing interest that is also visible this year through sold-out performances in several different program categories.
Finale on September 20 with Beczała and Qerkezi
The festival concludes on September 20 with a gala concert on the main stage of the Croatian National Theatre. Announced performers include Polish tenor Piotr Beczała, soprano Marigona Qerkezi, and the soloists and Orchestra of the Croatian National Theatre Opera in Zagreb under the direction of Pier Giorgio Morandi. The Croatian National Theatre states that Beczała is returning to Zagreb after four years, while Qerkezi, who was born in Zagreb, is appearing as an artist with an international career. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. and is conceived as the culminating finale of the ten-day program.
According to the currently available official schedule, tickets for the gala concert could still be purchased on September 16, so the claim that the festival is "sold out" should be linked precisely to individual performances rather than to the entire finale. The organizer has also announced that the final concert will be available to visitors on Festival Square, on the plateau in front of the Croatian National Theatre building, where the program can be followed outside the auditorium. For visitors coming to Croatia's capital for the final days of the event, accommodation offers in Zagreb may be useful, especially because the program is taking place at several locations in the central part of the city.
The sold-out Venus and Adonis, the sold-out Lakmé, and the sold-out final performance of Gita and the Hidden World show that interest is not concentrated on only one title or one type of audience. The fourth edition of the Zagreb Opera Festival simultaneously connects canonical repertoire, early Baroque, French opera, programs for children, work with older audiences, and professional discussions about the future of theatre. Until the closing on September 20, the emphasis remains on international guest appearances and accessibility of the program, while the winner of the new "Zinka Kunc Milanov" Audience Award will only be known after the final evening.
Sources:
- Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb - official Zagreb Opera Festival 2026 page with dates of the main program and information about participants (link)
- Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb - announcement of the fourth edition with more than thirty events, descriptions of guest performances, accompanying programs, and the Audience Award (link)
- Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb - current opera schedule and ticket availability status for Venus and Adonis, Lakmé, Gita and the Hidden World, and the final gala concert (link)
- Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb - report on the opening of the festival with Verdi's Aida on September 11, 2026 (link)
- Croatian Radiotelevision - announcement of the inaugural concert of the Dunja Vejzović Music Centre and list of performers (link)