Ticket sales for the Riga Opera Festival 2026 and the premiere of the new production of Giacomo Puccini’s opera La bohème will begin for the priority group on 5 February at 11:00. Remaining tickets will go on sale on 6 February at 11:00.

The Riga Opera Festival 2026 will open on 4 June with the premiere of a new production of Giacomo Puccini’s La bohème. The musical director of the production will be Arvo Volmer, Chief Conductor of the Estonian National Opera. The new staging of La bohème is created by stage director LAURA and her creative team. For the first time, the French set, video and lighting designer Fabien Lédé will work at our theatre. The production will also mark the debut at the Latvian National Opera of costume designer Fyodor Podgorny, internationally renowned as a member of the fashion design duo Fyodor Golan. Choreography will be created by Elza Leimane.

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

As every year, the festival will feature special guest artists – internationally acclaimed foreign and Latvian soloists. In the premiere of La bohème on 4 June and the performance on 17 June, the role of Rodolfo will be sung by the distinguished Ukrainian tenor Dmytro Popov. In Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, the role of Canio on 10 June will be performed by Aleksandrs Antoņenko. In Gaetano Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore on 12 June, Annija Kristiāna Ādamsone will make her debut as Adina, but in the role of Nemorino, our audiences will be introduced to the German tenor of Croatian origin Mateo Ivan Rašić, who has received the Austrian Music Theatre Award for his portrayal of this role.. In Georges Bizet’s Carmen on 18 June, the leading roles will be sung by Zanda Švēde (Carmen), Dumitru Mîțu (Don José) and Perrine Madeuf (Micaëla). In Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida on 19 June, the role of Radamès will be performed by Irakli Kakhidze.

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 soloists Zanda Švēde, Laura Lolita Perešivana, Aleksandrs Antoņenko, Samsons Izjumovs, Valdis Jansons, Dmytro Popov, Irakli Kakhidze and others, as well as the Latvian National Opera Chorus and Orchestra.

The list of festival participants will be expanded.

Two special events await dance enthusiasts this spring in the New Hall. On 23 April, the concert performance The Taming of the Shrew will be presented - a production by choreographer Regīna Kaupuža inspired by William Shakespeare’s comedy. On 22 May, the classical and contemporary ballet evening Possible… returns for the thirteenth time, featuring works by emerging choreographers and dancers.

Tickets are available at the Latvian National Opera box office and online.