It's time to start a new decade of the Festival!

We are delighted to announce the program of the XXXI Bydgoszcz Opera Festival! From April 26 to May 11, we are presenting seven festival performances, featuring companies from outstanding theaters in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Ukraine, as well as from Bytom and Poznań in Poland. Opera, musical, ballet, musical tragedy, or dance bordering with acrobatics... Some of the works on our stage will be presented in Poland for the first time or fresh off their Polish premieres. There will also be productions that are exceptionally rare to see in the country. Tickets go on sale from March 10. Meanwhile, the poster for XXXI BFO, as well as magnetic festival bookmarks for books, are already available in our Opera Boutique!

Intriguing, bold, and viral – this is how the poster for the XXXI BFO, designed by prof. Jacek Staniszewski, presents itself.

The festival poster, priced at 20 PLN per piece, is now available in our Opera Boutique. The artwork from the poster is also featured on a magnetic festival bookmark (10 PLN per piece). The festival gadget set is completed by the Carmen hand fan (25 PLN), announcing our ballet premiere for the inauguration of the XXXI BFO, and a thermal bottle with the festival logo (60 PLN).

Our Opera Boutique (located in the upper foyer) is open during intermissions and after performances.

A New Decade for the Festival, Marked by a Striking Poster

The festival enters a new decade, heralded by an intriguing poster designed for Opera Nova by renowned painter and graphic artist Jacek Staniszewski.

As hosts of the XXXI BFO, we will inaugurate the festival on April 26 with a premiere that will make history in the Polish theater scene. We will present the ballet Carmen, choreographed by Johan Inger, who collaborates with the world’s top ballet companies. And it is in Bydgoszcz that Johan Inger is realizing his original production in Poland for the very first time.

A rare opportunity awaits on May 7, when audience will have a chance to see Bedřich Smetana's third opera in Poland. Dalibor, staged by leading Czech opera director and advocate David Pountney, will be brought to Bydgoszcz by the Leoš Janáček Opera – National Theatre in Brno (Czech Republic).

Musical fans—and beyond—shouldn’t miss "Dear Evan Hansen", a production addressing significant social issues such as mental health and social media addiction. Following last year’s Polish premiere, the Musical Theater in Poznań (previously known for bringing the cult musical Kombinat to our stage) will present it at the festival on May 1.

The French company La Compagnie Käfig, led by Mourad Merzouki, amazed audiences at the festival’s anniversary edition by blending hip-hop dance with baroque music. This year, on May 3 and 4, they will once again surprise us with two original performances:

• Phénix – mesmerizing with its harmony of contradictions,
• Vertikal – showcasing gravity-defying suspended dance.

For classical opera lovers, the program offers true masterpieces:

• Richard Strauss' Elektra, presented in a stunning production by Sofia Opera,
• Two phenomenal works by Giuseppe Verdi:
  • Luisa Miller. Intrigue and Love, which has moved Polish audiences since its Polish premiere last fall in Silesian Opera (Bytom),
  • Macbeth, closing the festival, performed by the Taras Shevchenko National Opera of Ukraine in Kyiv.

This year’s festival will also feature a Masterclass with Prof. Artur Ruciński (April 25 to 27), in collaboration with Opera Nova and the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz. The Grand Finale of the masterclass will be the Opera Evening Concert, performed by select participants, scheduled for April 28 at 6:00 PM in Opera Nova’s chamber hall.

You can view the full XXXI Bydgoszcz Opera Festival program in the dedicated section [click here to access the program].