Hot off the press. We’re delighted to announce our 2025/2026 Season. It’s set to be a thrilling blend of extraordinary opera that explores every facet of humanity.
Featuring the return of much-loved classics, and a brand-new production, Welsh National Opera's new Season has something for everyone.
Our 2025/2026 Season opens this September in Cardiff with Puccini’s dramatic blockbuster, Tosca. Set in a city gripped by tyranny, three lives are bound by passion, power and deceit. Tosca’s lover, played by Uruguayan tenor Andrés Presno, hides a political fugitive wanted by the city’s ruthless Chief of Police, Scarpia, who has his sight on two things, the fugitive and Tosca himself. As tensions rise, Tosca, played by renowned Welsh Ukrainian soprano Natalya Romaniw, must navigate a labyrinth of blackmail and betrayal, faced with the impossible decision between love and survival.
Joining Tosca in the Autumn Season is Bernstein’s Candide. Strap in tight for a mind-boggling journey where 18th-century France clashes with 20th-century post-war America. WNO’s critically acclaimed production is staged by an award-winning team, who bring this zany, imaginative world to life with modern music, animation, dance and political bite.
Alongside the wonderful mix of Tosca and Candide, we present a new concert, A Night at the Opera. WNO Orchestra and WNO Chorus combine forces for a magical night of some of opera’s most iconic favourites, from Puccini to Verdi, Mozart to Wagner.
As we move towards the Spring 2026 Season and WNO’s 80th anniversary, we’re delighted to bring back Blaze of Glory! Set in a 1950s Welsh Valleys community a small group of Welsh miners decide to reform their Male Voice Choir to lift spirits after a devastating mining disaster. Blaze of Glory! is a jubilant celebration of the Land of Song and a tribute to how community spirit can triumph over adversity. Reprising their roles in this five-star production are two Welsh leads, the celebrated tenor, Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts and distinguished soprano Rebecca Evans.
In contrast, the Season continues with a new production of Wagner’s powerful and haunting The Flying Dutchman. A ghostly ship roams the endless sea with its captain, cursed to sail for eternity until redeemed by true love. Inspired by the beauty of the Welsh coastline, this gripping reimagining of The Flying Dutchman explores the deep ache of loneliness and the fragile hope of human connection. Wagner’s music from the thunderous overture to its haunting arias, is central to the story, evoking the power of the ocean and leaving you adrift. This gripping opera will be conducted by acclaimed WNO Music Director Tomáš Hanus who will be joined by the award-winning Welsh director Jack Furness, in his WNO directorial debut.
Our 2025/2026 Season wouldn’t be complete without WNO’s hugely popular family show Play Opera LIVE. This year, our fearless pirate captain Tom Redmond and his trusty crew WNO Orchestra have been stranded on a desert island. Shipwrecked! will take children on a fairytale journey with trials, treasure, swashbuckling music and rousing songs in this fun-packed introduction to opera.
Tickets for our 2025/2026 Season go on sale on Monday 3 March, or you can get yours early by becoming a WNO Member with priority booking available from Friday 21 February.
