Following the reconstruction of its historic building, the Latvian National Opera and Ballet will reopen its doors to audiences this June, inviting them to the Riga Opera Festival. Over nearly three decades, the festival has grown into a major cultural event, attracting both local audiences and opera lovers from abroad, regularly playing to full houses and drawing international attention.

This year, the festival will open on 4 June with the premiere of a new production of La bohème by Giacomo Puccini. The programme will offer a rich and diverse selection of performances, featuring this season’s new productions alongside repertoire favourites. Artists of the Latvian National Opera and Ballet will be joined by internationally acclaimed guest soloists, several of whom will be appearing in Latvia – and at the opera house – for the first time.

The Riga Opera Festival 2026 will present the operas La bohème, Cavalleria rusticana / Pagliacci, L’elisir d’amore, Carmen, and Aida, as well as ballet performances including Peer Gynt, The Concert (or, The Perils of Everybody) / Cacti, Casanova, The Sleeping Beauty, and Antonija #Silmači.

The new production of La bohème will be led by musical director Arvo Volmer, Chief Conductor of the Estonian National Opera, and staged by director LAURA together with her creative team. French set, video and lighting designer Fabien Lédé will make his debut at the theatre, alongside costume designer Fyodor Podgorny. The choreographer for the production is Elza Leimane.

As every year, the festival will feature distinguished guest artists – both international and Latvian. In the premiere of La bohème on 4 June and the performance on 17 June, the role of Rodolfo will be sung by the renowned Ukrainian tenor Dmytro Popov.

On 10 June, in Cavalleria rusticana, the role of Turiddu will be performed by the charismatic British tenor Adam Smith, who, following a series of notable role debuts at the Metropolitan Opera this spring, will make his Latvian debut. In Pagliacci, the role of Canio will be interpreted by internationally acclaimed Latvian tenor Aleksandrs Antoņenko.

On 12 June, in L’elisir d’amore, the role of Adina will mark the debut of the promising young Latvian soprano Annija Kristiāna Ādamsone. The performance will also feature several impressive male voices making their first appearance in Latvia: rising tenor Matteo Ivan Rašić as Nemorino – recipient of the Austrian Music Theatre Award for Best Young Artist – and internationally recognised Georgian baritone Misha Kiria as Dulcamara. The role of Belcore will be performed by young Latvian baritone Daniils Pogoriless, recently selected for the Young Singers Project of the Salzburg Festival.

A distinguished cast will take the stage in Carmen on 18 June. The role of Escamillo will be sung by world-renowned American bass-baritone Christian Van Horn, making his debut in Latvia. The title role will be performed by outstanding Latvian mezzo-soprano Zanda Švēde, this year’s recipient of the Latvian Grand Music Award. Don José will be sung by the rising Moldovan tenor Dumitru Mîțu, while Micaëla will be performed by French soprano Perrine Madoeuf.

In Aida on 19 June, the title role will be performed by one of the leading soloists of the Latvian National Opera, Tatjana Trenogina. She will be joined by acclaimed Georgian tenor Irakli Kakhidze as Radamès and Lithuanian mezzo-soprano Justina Gringytė as Amneris.

The Riga Opera Festival and the 2025/2026 season will conclude on 20 June with a spectacular Gala concert under the musical direction of Mārtiņš Ozoliņš. The concert will feature an impressive line-up of stars, including Zanda Švēde, Laura Lolita Perešivana, Aleksandrs Antoņenko, Christian Van Horn, Samsons Izjumovs, Valdis Jansons, Dmytro Popov, Irakli Kakhidze and others, alongside the Chorus and Orchestra of the Latvian National Opera.

Tickets are available at the LNOB box office and online.