It is heartening to see that British Opera is alive and well across the UK with many of our excellent professional opera companies presenting works old and new. Here’s a snapshot of what’s coming up in 2026…
What is often considered to be the greatest of British operas is featured up in Leeds and across the north of England when Opera North takes on Britten’s mighty Peter Grimes from 13 February to 20 March. In this revival of Phyllida Lloyd’s acclaimed production, conflict threatens to tear apart a close-knit fishing community on the east coast of England in this searing, sea-swept classic.
Over at Welsh National Opera, David Hackbridge Johnson’s toe-tapping, heart-warming adventure Blaze of Glory! brings Cymru, coal and choral singing to the stage in this uplifting tale set in a 1950s Welsh Valleys community. After a devastating mining disaster a small group of Welsh miners decide to reform their Male Voice Choir to lift spirits and raise the roof! It runs from 1 April to Friday 22 May not just in Wales but also in venues across southern England.
At Grange Park Opera in Surrey, opera giant Sir David Pountney directs the world première of Krishna from 4 June to 2 July 2026.Dubbed by the composer as a mystic pantomime, this opera promises dance, ritualised tableaux and an ethereal sound world that includes eight flutes (four of them alto flutes) forming a halo around the God.
Another great Britten opera from Glyndebourne Festival Opera from 28 June – 30 July with a revival of their 2010 production of Britten’s heartbreaking yet gripping psychological seafaring epic, Billy Budd (pictured at top of page). Michael Grandage returns to direct his evocative and claustrophobic production with Nicholas Carter conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Thomas Mole playing the title role.
Let’s support these fantastic productions alongside any live performances of great British music in 2026.
Written by Nicholas Keyworth