Skip to main content

Welcome!

What's On!

September

'Follies' at The Grand Opera House, Belfast

June

Meow Meow: Feline Intimate

June to August

Summer Events 2025

July

Cocktails and Cabaret in the Grand Opera House Studio

August

The 15th Glenarm Festival of Voice

August

From Old To New: Ulster Scots Song

November

Morning Melodies - 'A Rose By Any Other Name'

Past Productions

Explore our past productions, from 2010 to 2024

Discover Opera

Discover

Discover Opera

Find out all about our recent production of 'Eugene Onégin' at the Grand Opera House, Belfast

Eugene Onégin

NI Opera Studio

The Juniper Tree

'The Juniper Tree' is based on a famous Grimm's fairytale, in which a jealous stepmother murders…

Main Stage

Tosca

Northern Ireland Opera returns in 2023 with Puccini’s ‘Tosca’, after our critically acclaimed and sold-out production…

New Work

Nobody/Somebody

'Nobody/Somebody' is an exciting and powerful new opera created by composer Neil Martin and playwright Fionnuala…

Musical

Into The Woods

BEST PRODUCTION, THE IRISH TIMES IRISH THEATRE AWARDS 2022 In a whirlwind quest to make their…

WHAT'S ON

WHAT'S ON

What's On

Check out our calendar guide to what's coming up in the next few months.

Summer Events 2025

Main Stage

Follies

Northern Ireland Opera’s next major production at the Grand Opera House is ‘Follies’, winner of 7…

June 2025

Meow Meow: Feline Intimate

Northern Ireland Opera welcomes international singing sensation Meow Meow back to Belfast, fresh from her triumph…

August 2025

The 15th Glenarm Festival of Voice

The Glenarm Festival of Voice will take place from 22-24 August 2025. Now in its fifteenth…

Special Event

Cocktails and Cabaret

Introducing a unique event this summer in The Studio at the Grand Opera House... Enjoy a…

WHAT WE DO

What We Do

WHAT WE DO

We are Northern Ireland's award-winning national opera company, an arts charity dedicated to the highest standards of opera performance, development of young talent and community outreach and education. Find out more about our productions since our foundation in 2010 via the link.

What We Do

Artist Development

Chorus Development Programme Our Chorus Development Programme launched in 2022, following open auditions to select local…

Past Productions

Outreach

Northern Ireland Opera bring innovative new productions of the highest artistic quality to the stage, reflecting…

The Glenarm Festival of Voice

The festival features public recitals and events, including three concerts in partnership with and broadcast by…

News

5th June 2025

Opera Star Lesley Garrett CBE Debuts With Northern Ireland Opera in a New Production of ‘Follies’

Lesley Garrett CBE, one of the world’s most celebrated classical singers and acclaimed British soprano is announced today as the newest cast member to join Northern Ireland Opera’s historic revival of Stephen…

View More
Opera Star Lesley Garrett CBE Debuts With Northern Ireland Opera in a New Production of ‘Follies’
3rd June 2025

Meet the BBC Radio 3 Recitalists for the 15th Glenarm Festival of Voice.

We’re delighted to welcome Northern Irish mezzo soprano Carolyn Dobbin and BBC New Generation Artists baritone James Atkinson and tenor Santiago Sanchez to the beautiful County Antrim coastal town of Glenarm this…

View More
Meet the BBC Radio 3 Recitalists for the 15th Glenarm Festival of Voice.
29th May 2025

Casual Workers Needed for Events/Productions

We’re looking for casual workers to add to our freelance pool to help with event and production set-up and get out at Northern Ireland Opera! If you’re interested in physical work, team coordination, and enjoy a flexible…

View More
Casual Workers Needed for Events/Productions
01
of
01

SUPPORT US

SUPPORT US

Support

Find out more about how you can help us create more opera and more opportunities for our artists in Northern Ireland. Become part of our story, whether as an individual, a sponsor, a corporate partner or by joining The Friends of Northern Ireland Opera.

More Details

Connect With Us

Lesley Garrett CBE, one of the world’s most celebrated classical singers and acclaimed British soprano is announced today as the newest cast member to join Northern Ireland Opera’s historic revival of Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman’s Follies at @gohbelfast this Autumn. Garrett’s prestigious and varied international career is spread across many genres including leading roles in opera and musical theatre. This year marks her 45th anniversary in the industry, which will see her step into an iconic role to play opera diva Heidi Schiller in this musical masterpiece about a group of former showgirls of the famous Weismann Follies. Upon returning after thirty years with their partners to their beloved decaying Broadway theatre for one final reunion before demolition, old connections stir and rivalries flare. By the time they all leave their world’s will have shifted: will anything be the same again? The opera legend says of her role in this new production of Follies: “‘I’m so excited to be coming back to Belfast and especially to be making my debut with Northern Ireland Opera at the age of 70! Sondheim’s Follies is a masterpiece and I’m delighted to have been given the once in a lifetime opportunity to perform the iconic role of Heidi Schiller. Come and join me on this fabulous adventure!” Find out all about Follies and the cast announced so far via the linktree in the bio - and book your tickets soon! @artscouncilni @cameronmenziesdirector @jrooneydance @niallmckeeverdesign @gillian.lennox01 @nualacampbell #Follies #HeidiSchiller #StephenSondheim #JamesGoldman #musical #broadway #broadwaymusical #belfast #septembermusicals #whatsoninseptember #citybreak #culturetrip #operasinger #opera #operastar
We're looking forward to welcoming these four artists to The 15th Glenarm Festival of Voice later this summer. They will be performing the 2025 @bbcradio3 recitals at the festival, which are recorded live in St Patrick's Church between 22 and 24 August and broadcast nationally on BBC Radio 3 later in the autumn. Mezzo soprano @carolyn_dobbin_mezzo baritone @james_atkinson94 tenor @tenorsanchez with pianist @simon_lepper will be performing arias and songs on a theme of 'Landscapes'. Tickets for the BBC Radio 3 recitals are free but must be applied for via a ticket draw at BBC Shows and Tours which opens on July 18 - follow the linktree in the bio for more details about the artists and how to apply for free tickets. You can also now book tickets for other events at the Glenarm Festival of Voice this year including a concert in the Coach House @glenarmcastle and our much-anticipated Competition Finale - find out more via the linktree in the bio. With many thanks to the event partners, funders and sponsors who make this event possible including @artscouncilni @meaboroughcouncil @glenarmcastle @bbcradio3 and the Friends of Northern Ireland Opera. #Glenarm #BBCRadio3Recitals #Concerts #Recitals #FreeConcert #LiveRecording #WhatsOn #Glenarm #AugustBankHolidayEvents
Breaking News! Meow Meow @meowtopia returns to Belfast for one night only with 'Feline Intimate' on 12 June: catch her direct from her triumph at the @sohotheatre! Further details coming on Monday: save the date for this very special performance... Photo Credit: Karl Giant @cameronmenziesdirector #GregArrowsmith @artscouncilni @theharrisonbelfast @thegourmetboys @ourbelfastmusic #MeowMeow #specialevent #belfast #whatsoninjune #felineintimate
🎼 La Voix Humaine by Poulenc 📍 The Everyman Cork 📅 Thursday 5 June 8pm Next week we're taking our touring production of Poulenc's 'La Voix Humaine' to Cork's @theeverymancork. Poulenc’s searing one-woman, one-act opera is based on the play by Jean Cocteau. This poignant and emotionally charged work centres on a woman’s final phone conversation with her former lover, brought to life through Poulenc’s captivating score and a tour-de-force solo performance by @marymccabesoprano with @davidquigleypianist , directed by @cameronmenziesdirector . This legendary opera is a compelling exploration of love, isolation, and the human voice. If you are in Cork next week, don't miss your chance to see this incredible 20th century opera: book your tickets at @theeverymancork and join 'Elle' as she experiences the implosion of her relationship in real time. 'La Voix Humaine' is performed in French with English surtitles. More details and booking links via the linktree in the bio. Photo credit @neilharrisonphotography Directed by @cameronmenziesdirector Wigs and Make-Up Design @nualacampbell Gown @lindabritten #Poulenc #TouringOpera #LaVoixHumaine #Cocteau #Poulenc #FrenchOpera #Cork #WhatsOnInCork #CorkEvents #CorkCity #JuneEvents
Meet the first six cast to be announced for our new production of 'Follies' at the @gohbelfast 13-20 September. We are thrilled to be working with these brilliant artists on Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman's legendary musical 'Follies'. Anna Jane Casey @annajanecasey13 as Sally Durrant Plummer Annette McLaughlin @netsymac as Phyllis Rogers Stone Mark Dugdale @markdugdale01 as Buddy Plummer Alasdair Harvey @alasdair_harvey as Benjamin Stone Jacqueline Dankworth @jacquelinedankworth as Carlotta Campion Allison Harding @harding49 as Hattie Walker We look forward to sharing further cast announcements in the next few weeks! Find out more via the linktree on our bio - full biographies available on our event page. Booking now via @gohbelfast @artscouncilni @cameronmenziesdirector #GregArrowsmith @niallmckeeverdesign @jrooneydance @nualacampbell @gillian.lennox01 @maggiebarry17 @frasierhickland #Follies #Sondheim #CastAnnouncement #SallyDurrantPlummer #phyllisrogersstone #BuddyPlummer #BenjaminStone #CarlottaCampion #HattieWalker #BroadwayBaby
We'll be at @theharrisonbelfast on the Malone Road in Belfast tomorrow night between 5 and 8pm, performing songs and arias from cabaret, musicals and opera in the gorgeous new hotel bar at The Harrison, 'The Frenchman's Nose'. Book a £20 ticket via the linktree in the bio and come along between 5 and 8pm to start the weekend in style with some beautiful music performed by mezzo @jennybourke_mezzo vocalist @laura.shaww with pianist @tristanrusscher #FridayNight #PostWork #FridayNightDrinks #hotelbar #fridaynightplans #belfast #whatsoninbelfast #weekendplans #maloneroad #southbelfast @artscouncilni @ourbelfastmusic
This summer we're back performing at locations around the country with free pop-up concerts (like the one pictured at @flowerfieldarts last year), summer recitals, cabaret events, festivals and more! Check out the linktree in the bio for currently confirmed dates - more details and further events, including the full Glenarm Festival of Voice programme will be added in the next few weeks. @artscouncilni #summerevents #whatson #summerprogramme #operacompany #opera #musicals #summerconcerts #diarydates #whatson
Meet the artists who will be performing at our event with @theharrisonbelfast on the Malone Road next Friday 23 May between 5pm and 8pm in the hotel bar 'The Frenchman's Nose' Mezzo Soprano @jennybourke_mezzo has been an Associate Artist with Northern Ireland Opera for the last three years and performed as Filipevna in our Eugene Onégin, Stepmother in ‘The Juniper Tree’ as well as solo concerts and performances in our Salon Series and Morning Melodies events. Vocalist @laura.shaww is a recent drama graduate from the University of Exeter where she obtained first class honours. She is also a past vocal studies pupil of Jenny Bourke! They will be accompanied by pianist @tristanrusscher a collaborative pianist, who has worked with Irish National Opera, Lyric Opera, the National Symphony Orchestra Ireland, NUI Maynooth, the Royal Irish Academy of Music, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Sestina, TU Dublin and the Ulster Orchestra. The artists will be performing between 5 and 5.45pm and again between 7 and 7.45pm. Come for an hour or stay for the evening - a perfect post-work start to the weekend. Further details via the linktree in the bio - book at niopera.com @artscouncilni #livemusic #mayevening #whatson #whatsoninbelfast #whatsoninmay #fridaynight #hotelbar #maloneroad
Newsletter Sign Up

Subscribe

* indicates required
Your interests (tick at least one)

Please confirm you are happy to receive our email newsletter which we we send out about once a month.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. For further information about our privacy practices please visit this page on our website. https://niopera.com/cookies-and-privacy/

We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.