Opera in the North East 2026 - 2027
From Mozart and Rossini to Gilbert & Sullivan and Ofenbach - where you can see opera and operetta performed in Tyne & Wear, Northumberland and Durham, including fully staged, semi-staged and concert versions of complete operas.
Locations covered include Newcastle, Sunderland, Durham, and Northumbria.
The Mikado
Jubilee TheatreJubilee Road, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 3XT
19th Mar 2026 to 21st Mar 2026
Gosforth Musical Society's 2026 production of Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado".
Website
Ellen Kent: The Farewell Tour - Madama Butterfly
Sunderland Empire4 -5 High Street West, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR1 3EX
23rd Mar 2026
Back by overwhelming public demand, this production features exquisite sets including a spectacular Japanese garden and fabulous costumes including antique wedding kimonos from Japan.
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Ellen Kent: The Farewell Tour - Carmen
Sunderland Empire4 -5 High Street West, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR1 3EX
1st Apr 2026
Senbla presents Ellen Kent's Farewell Opera Tour featuring The Ukrainian Opera with International Soloists, Highly Praised Chorus and Full Orchestra.
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Pagliacci
Gala TheatreMillennium Place, Durham DH1 1WA
20th May 2026
When Canio, leader of a theatre troupe, sees his life reflected in rehearsals for an upcoming opera, he becomes convinced that his wife is having an affair. Can Canio temper his spiralling emotions, or will his jealousy get the better of him?
Website
The Gondoliers
Gala TheatreMillennium Place, Durham DH1 1WA
21st May 2026
Two handsome and charming gondoliers discover that one is the long-lost heir to the throne of Barataria - but which one? In the pursuit of the truth, a bewildering series of events threaten both their marriages and their claim to the throne.
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The Marriage of Figaro
The Majestic TheatreBondgate, Darlington. ?DL3 7JT
27th Jun 2026
Opera Nova present Mozart's sparkling comedy The Marriage of Figaro, sung in English.
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Rigoletto
Newcastle Theatre Royal100 Grey Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 6BR
4th Nov 2026 to 6th Nov 2026
This bold, award-winning production by leading UK theatre artist Feme Elufowoju Jr is opera at its most gripping: a thrilling tale of power, love and revenge that includes one of opera's most famous aria, 'La donna e mobile'.
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Eugene Onegin
Newcastle Theatre Royal100 Grey Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 6BR
7th Nov 2026
Tchaikovsky adapted Pushkin's great verse novel for the stage and set it to music that displays his gift for unforgettable melody. The result is a deeply affecting portrait of love, regret and missed chances.
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Don Giovanni
Newcastle Theatre Royal100 Grey Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 6BR
10th Mar 2027 to 12th Mar 2027
Mozart's darkest, craziest opera. Sparkling music, vivid characters and dramatic bite combine to create a work that is both endlessly entertaining and profoundly unsettling.
Website
Dead Man Walking
Newcastle Theatre Royal100 Grey Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 6BR
13th Mar 2027
Based on the memoir by Sister Helen Prejean, Dead Man Walking is one of the most widely acclaimed and frequently performed operas of the past 25 years.
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