One of the Opera’s most important missions is to put on performances for children and young people, and to make it possible for them to pursue culture. During the last twenty years Young Opera has been and continue to be the state-of-the-art for opera and ballet in Sweden.
The Young Opera section has been commissioned by the government to make opera and ballet accessible to children and young people. Through performances and educational activities, the Young Opera wants to open doors to the world of performing arts and arouse curiosity about the Opera House's art forms. The Young Opera's offering is broad and varied, and is aimed at children and young people from preschool to high school. The activities meet children both at school and in their free time, with activities such as guided tours, workshops, performances and Children's Saturdays.
»Today, there is extensive research highlighting the importance of culture for children’s wellbeing and learning.«
“The Royal Swedish Opera is Sweden’s national stage for opera and ballet – and Young Opera’s mission is to make opera, ballet and music accessible to children and young people through artistic experiences and educational activities.
Today, there is extensive research highlighting the importance of culture for children’s wellbeing and learning. Music, dance and the performing arts strengthen concentration, support both mental and physical health, and create shared experiences that are fundamental to our sense of belonging. But taking part in cultural life as a child is not necessarily about being shaped into a future artist or audience member. For us at Young Opera, it is about equipping children with experiences, language and frames of reference that allow them to participate in society here and now. When culture becomes something you recognise, feel confident in and dare to engage with, both self-esteem and the relationship to the surrounding world are strengthened.
In autumn 2026, Andrea Tarrodi’s opera Lost returns – the story of a girl who gets lost in the woods but finds help from unexpected sources. Its world premiere in 2024 was widely praised: “a little gem”, wrote Dagens Nyheter, while Svenska Dagbladet called it “a surreal dream play about finding oneself”. The production is aimed at children aged six and up.
In November 2026, Känslornas kör (The Chorus of Emotions) premieres – a powerful choral concert about being an individual while also part of a group. Twenty-five singers from the Royal Swedish Opera Chorus take part, performing a programme of striking choral works. The concert is available for school bookings.
Autumn 2026 will be our final season in the Opera House before it closes for renovation. From spring 2027, you will find our performances at the Swedish Museum of Performing Arts, next door to Dramaten. Our guided tours will take place at the Royal Swedish Academy of Music at Nybrokajen, in our rehearsal spaces in Gäddviken in Nacka, and at the Gasometer. Our popular Children’s Saturdays will be held at the Swedish Museum of Performing Arts, the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, and at our venues in Flemingsberg. We hope you will join us there!
We would also like to recommend the report När kulturen får ta tid (When Culture Is Given Time). It explores our three-way collaboration with Huddinge Municipality and Fabege, and what happens when 1,300 children in Flemingsberg engage with culture several times each school year. It is inspiring to read about children who feel at home in the Opera House and who have “found their opera voice”.”
Ellen Lamm
Artistic director, Young Opera
We are Young Opera!
A close-knit group that produces performances and welcomes a never-ending stream of young people to the Opera House!
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