Born during the pandemic and led by soprano Catarina Molder, Operafest returns for its seventh edition with a program that aims to be, in its own words, the place where opera is enjoyed with POP-style enthusiasm. Between August 5 and September 11, Lisbon and Oeiras will once again be the stage for great classics, world premieres, opera films, conferences, masterclasses, and workshops. All centered around the theme of “the enigma.”
The festival kicks off in Oeiras, in the unique setting of the Cloisters of the Cartuxa Convent in Caxias , transformed into an open-air opera venue with excellent acoustics. It is there that the 2026 edition opens with *Turandot* (1926), Giacomo Puccini’s last unfinished opera, celebrated on its centennial. The production is an original by the Hessisches Staatstheater in Wiesbaden, directed by Daniela Kerck and conducted by Osvaldo Ferreira, featuring Russian soprano Oleya Golavenva and Mexican tenor Rodrigo Garuli in the lead roles. Performances take place on August 5, 6, 8, and 9 at 9:00 p.m.
Also in Caxias, on August 14 and 15 at 9:00 p.m., Mozart’s *The Marriage of Figaro* takes the stage— Lorenzo da Ponte’s biting comedy about betrayals, deceptions, and social criticism of the wealthy classes—directed by Mónica Garnel and conducted by Maestro Pedro Carneiro, with the Portuguese Chamber Orchestra.
Back in the capital: Ópera Satélite, Cine-Ópera, and Lectures
In Lisbon, the Ópera Satélite series features two world premieres. *Anátema*, which draws inspiration from the work of Camilo Castelo Branco, brings together soprano Catarina Molder and dancer and choreographer Tânia Carvalho at the Teatro Romano in Lisbon on September 3, at 8:30 p.m., 9:20 p.m., and 10:00 p.m. At the Valentim de Barros Studio Hall, Enigma challenges the multifaceted artist Gustavo Sumpta to explore this edition’s theme with the performance *Enigma Névoa Nada* on September 5, at 9:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m., and 11:00 p.m.
In the Cine-Opera series, in partnership with the Cinemateca Portuguesa, four films explore the cross-pollination between cinema and opera: Fellini’s *E la nave va* (September 1, 9:30 p.m.), Franco Zeffirelli’s *Turandot* (September 2, 7:00 p.m.), Milos Forman’s *Amadeus* (September 8, 3:30 p.m.), and *Ario* (September 10, 7:00 p.m.).
“Love & Arsenic: The Chemistry Behind the Scenes of Opera,” by João Paulo André (September 7, 6:30 p.m.), and “Mozart and Marital Crimes,” by Jorge Rodrigues (September 9, 6:30 p.m.) are the two lectures that will take place at the Âmbito Cultural Auditorium at El Corte Inglés in Lisbon; admission is free by reservation.
Laboratório Ópera XXI and the Contemporary Opera Marathon
For professionals and students in the field, the Ópera XXI Laboratory offers a series of activities throughout the festival: singing masterclasses and the “Singing Characters” workshop on stage presence for singers with Mónica Garnel, on September 5 and 6, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the Teatro da Comuna.
To close out Operafest 2026, the Camões Theater will host the 5th edition of the Ópera XXI Marathon, the only national contemporary opera competition, featuring the world premieres of two new works commissioned from playwright Miguel Castro Caldas: *Vida Secreta de Coiso* by Francisco Lima da Silva, about artificial intelligence and digital service platforms, and *Último Andamento* by Pedro Laranjeira Finisterra, about the effects of gentrification on cities, both staged by Rita Calçada Bastos, with musical direction by Diogo Costa. The performance is on September 11 at 8:00 p.m.
Warm-up: the preview took place back in July
Before the main performances, the festival kicked off with a “Warm-up” session on July 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the El Corte Inglés Cultural Center: the lecture “Turandot: Puccini’s Femme Fatale?”, by João Paulo André.
Useful Information
Where: Cartuxa Convent (Caxias, Oeiras), Lisbon Roman Theater, Valentim de Barros Studio Hall, Portuguese Film Archive, Camões Theater, Comuna Theater, Âmbito Cultural Auditorium (El Corte Inglés Lisbon)
Dates: August 5–September 11, 2026
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