A word from the Oper'a CEO

Dear audience, 

Operan’s future is at last becoming clear. We now have a strong and secure plan regarding the renovation and development of the opera house when it closes at the end of 2026. The renovation plan includes an extension on the Kungsträdgården side, to enable the opera house to meet future demand. There will be a new entrance from Jakobs torg, leading up to a public foyer and a spacious second stage, which will above all present content aimed at children and young people. We’re delighted with this project, which has been made possible by generous donations. An interim main stage has also been found for our opera and ballet performances during the five-year renovation period. Gasometer, the impressive gas tank on Norra Djurgårdsstaden that’s been converted into a modern arena for dramatic arts, will be Operan’s main stage as from spring 2027. We’re thrilled about this exciting move and look forward to welcoming our loyal patrons to our temporary address and our awesome newly constructed stage.

But before the closure, move and renovations we have a lot left to offer in our beloved old opera house. The 2025/2026 season is a dazzling display of everything that makes our art forms so amazing, and of how much a cultural experience can encompass. We’re presenting the new opera Eatnama váibmu (The Heart of the Earth), a work for the whole family that will be sung entirely in Northern Sámi – a first for Sweden. We will also be staging the children’s production Who’s there? – a collaboration between Young Opera and the Royal Swedish Ballet that will be touring nationwide with Riksteatern. Rufus Wainwright is being showcased as both artist and opera composer when his opera Prima Donna is revived, on the very day of his solo performance on Operan’s main stage. Why? Because we can, and because we want to. Operan’s offering is incredibly wide-ranging – there’s something for everyone. We’re the opera house and ballet company for the whole of Sweden and want everyone to feel welcome here. The staging of cutting-edge contemporary works as well as revivals of popular classics such as Swan Lake and Die Zauberflöte thus goes without saying.

I furthermore wish to sound a special fanfare for our impeccable Royal Swedish Orchestra, one of the oldest in the world, which will be celebrating its 500th birthday in 2026. This will mean a host of concerts and other events during this jubilee year, kicking off with a series of grand concerts on the main stage in January, when the Royal Swedish Orchestra, the Operan choir and soloists will be performing Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 – one of the greatest masterworks in musical history – under the baton of music director Alan Gilbert. Newcomers to opera or ballet are often struck by the fact that there’s an entire orchestra seated in front of the stage who play all the music live for each performance. But ambition and generosity are the norm at Operan, and we’re unbelievably proud of the creativity we offer our audiences. We hope that as many people as possible will discover and embrace it.

We look forward to seeing you!

Fredrik Lingren 
CEO at the Royal Swedish Opera