English National Opera has unveiled its 2026/27 season featuring nine operas across London and Greater Manchester, including six new productions and the first UK staging of Philip Glass’s Einstein on the Beach in 15 years. The season highlights the company’s ongoing expansion of its dual-centre model.

English National Opera’s 2026/27 season will present nine operas between the London Coliseum and venues in Greater Manchester, continuing its dual-centre approach. Six of the operas will be new productions, underlining a commitment to innovative programming.

Central to the season is Einstein on the Beach, the landmark collaboration between composer Philip Glass and director Robert Wilson. Directed by Phelim McDermott, the production will premiere at Aviva Studios in Manchester in June 2027 and completes McDermott’s Glass trilogy, following his stagings of Satyagraha and Akhnaten.

In London, Artistic Director Annilese Miskimmon will helm new productions of Tosca and Adriana Mater at the Coliseum. These operas are paired to explore themes of art, conflict and its aftermath. Puccini’s Tosca is reimagined in a contemporary European state in crisis, while Kaija Saariaho’s Adriana Mater, with a libretto by Amin Maalouf, delves into post-war violence. Both operas will be performed consecutively on a single day in December.

Other new productions at the Coliseum include Christoph Willibald Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride, directed by Lyndsey Turner, and Breaking the Waves, the operatic adaptation by Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek of Lars von Trier’s 1996 film. Tinuke Craig directs the London premiere of Breaking the Waves.

The season also presents a double bill of Trial by Jury and The Zoo alongside revivals. Notable revivals include Peter Konwitschny’s staging of La traviata and the contemporary opera Angel’s Bone by Du Yun and Royce Vavrek, which transfers to London after its Manchester premiere. A one-night presentation of To Die For [A Comedy] by Elena Langer is also planned.

Beyond performances, English National Opera will expand its Under 21 free ticket scheme across London and Greater Manchester. The company has also appointed conductor Néstor Bayona as the new Mackerras Fellow under Music Director Designate André de Ridder, signalling continued investment in music development.