Opera in the North West 2026 - 2027
From Mozart and Rossini to Gilbert & Sullivan and Lehar - where you can see opera and operetta performed in Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cumbria, Lancashire, and Cheshire, including fully staged, semi-staged and concert versions of complete operas.
Locations covered include Manchester, Liverpool, Preston and Blackpool.
Patience
Blackburn Empire TheatreAqueduct Rd, Blackburn BB2 4HT
22nd Apr 2026 to 24th Apr 2026
In a world gone mad with lovesick ladies and pretentious men, the women abandon their handsome soldiers and instead pursue the fake poet Reginald Bunthorne, who thrives on admiration.
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The Pirates of Penzance
Knutsford Little Theatre18 Queen Street, Knutsford, WA16 6 HZ
23rd Apr 2026 to 26th Apr 2026
Gemini Musical Theatre Company present the popular Gilbert and Sullivan Operetta. Embark on a delightful journey with The Pirates of Penzance, where we unravel the captivating storyline of this timeless comic opera.
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Pagliacci
StoryhouseHunter Street, Chester CH1 2AR
28th Apr 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?
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The Gondoliers
StoryhouseHunter Street, Chester CH1 2AR
29th Apr 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 Mikado
Woodhouses Church HallAshton Rd, Failsworth, Manchester, M35 9WL
6th May 2026 to 9th May 2026
Woodhouses Church Amateur Operatic Society present Gilbert & Sullivan's popular comic opera.
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Iolanthe
Z-arts335 Stretford Road, Hulme M15 5ZA
7th May 2026 to 9th May 2026
The award winning Sale Gilbert and Sullivan Society are pleased to be returning to Z-arts with Iolanthe ? a magical comic operetta where Fairies take on the House of Lords in a show packed with colour, witty dialogue and wonderful music.
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Spring Concert including Trial by Jury
Poynton Legion ClubGeorges Road West, Poynton. SK12 1JY
8th May 2026 to 9th May 2026
Presented by Poynton Gilbert & Sullivan Society.
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Angel's Bone
Factory InternationalWater Street, Manchester M3 4JQ
12th May 2026
Breaking with operatic tradition, Angel's Bone fuses multiple musical genres, spoken word and immersive staging in an uncompromising tale of modern slavery and human trafficking.
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Angel's Bone
Aviva StudiosWater Street, Manchester M3 4JQ
12th May 2026 to 16th May 2026
Breaking with operatic tradition, Angel's Bone fuses multiple musical genres, spoken word and immersive staging in an uncompromising tale of modern slavery and human trafficking.
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Rigoletto
Chester Town Hall33 Northgate St, Chester CH1 2HQ
14th May 2026
This is one of the most famous operas with melodies you will instantly recognise. From the fireworks of Gilda?s Caro Nome to the greatly recognised La donna e mobile!
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Rigoletto
St George's HallSt George's Pl, Liverpool L1 1JJ
16th May 2026
This is one of the most famous operas with melodies you will instantly recognise. From the fireworks of Gilda's Caro Nome to the greatly recognised La donna e mobile!
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Barkouf
The Bridgewater HallLower Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3WS
4th Oct 2026
Step into the absurd political world of Offenbach's Barkouf ? a riotous opera where corruption runs wild, flattery is an art form and the only thing more dangerous than power are the incompetent politicians desperate to win it ?
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Madama Butterfly
St George's HallSt George's Pl, Liverpool L1 1JJ
31st Oct 2026
It takes a heart of stone not to be moved by the great tragedy of this story, which is so enriched by the composition. Presented ny North Wales Opera.
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Rigoletto
The LowryPier 8, Salford Quays, Salford M50 3AZ
12th Nov 2026 to 14th 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
The LowryPier 8, Salford Quays, Salford M50 3AZ
13th 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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Madama Butterfly
Chester Town Hall33 Northgate St, Chester CH1 2HQ
4th Dec 2026
It takes a heart of stone not to be moved by the great tragedy of this story, which is so enriched by the composition. Everyone will have heard the humming chorus and the 'Un bel di' (One fine day).
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Don Giovanni
The LowryPier 8, Salford Quays, Salford M50 3AZ
3rd Mar 2027 to 5th 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.
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Dead Man Walking
The LowryPier 8, Salford Quays, Salford M50 3AZ
6th 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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Tristan und Isolde
The Bridgewater HallLower Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3WS
9th May 2027
A hymn to a love that transcends death, set to some of the most sheerly sensuous music ever composed - and the frank eroticism of the score still has the power to shock. This is the latest in Opera North?s sequence of award-winning concert stagings.
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Orpheus
Liverpool Philharmonic HallHope Street, Liverpool L1 9BP
13th May 2027
Jasdeep Singh Degun's thrilling reimagining of Monteverdi's beautiful baroque masterpiece in a union of uniquely talented singers and musicians from both the South Asian and western classical traditions.
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