Vancouver Opera

The Vancouver Opera puts on multiple mainstage shows each year and is regarded as one of the finest opera orchestra companies in Canada.

For tickets and full details about the opera and its performances, visit vancouveropera.ca.

The next mainstage opera of Vancouver Opera’s 2025-26 season is Così fan tutte by Mozart, which takes place on February 7th, 12th, and 15th, 2026.

Before Così fan tutte, Goh Ballet’s The Nutcracker plays at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre from December 18th to 21st at the end of 2025. Although it’s a ballet rather than an opera, it features live orchestral accompaniment from the Vancouver Opera Orchestra and is a Christmas highlight.

This article contains the following information about Vancouver Opera:

What to Expect | This Season’s Shows | Schools and Other Programs | Tips and Advice | Other Information

The Vancouver Opera Company Shows

Vancouver Opera is the second-largest opera company in Canada, behind the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto. Vancouver Opera began in 1958 and has since grown into one of the premier performing arts organizations not just in the Lower Mainland but across all of Canada.

Nearly all Vancouver Opera’s mainstage productions are held at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. The theatre is located at 630 Hamilton Street downtown and seats nearly 3,000 people.

In addition to the standard performances, Vancouver Opera also runs various other programs. There is Vancouver Opera in Schools, which tours throughout BC with professional-quality opera performances for students. There are also summer camps and other youth programs on offer.

For tickets and the company’s official website see vancouveropera.ca.

What to Expect

Vancouver Opera puts on three different productions most years. They are usually in Italian, but sometimes French or German. Often one of them is in English. The shows involve operatic singing (of course), and beautiful costumes and sets.

Regardless of the language of the performance, English subtitles (or closed caption text) are projected above the theatre’s stage. This is very helpful, especially when the singing is in a language you don’t understand.

At Vancouver Opera, productions expect superb singing! They are an exceptional opera company, and Vancouver is very lucky to have them!

There is usually an intermission of about 25 minutes in the middle of each performance, along with a pre-show talk before and a post-show talk after. Both of the talks are short and very interesting. We recommend them, especially if you are new to opera.

The pre-show talk lasts about 15 minutes. Speakers provide background to the show and describe its history. The talks usually take place upstairs in the Mezzanine an hour before the main performance begins.

The post-show talk takes place shortly after the opera’s finale, after most of the audience has left the auditorium. Those who wish can stay and go down to the front seats. The leading actors then come out, and audience members can ask them questions from time to time.

For tickets and full details about the shows, see the Vancouver Opera‘s website.

Madama Butterfly at Vancouver Opera — Madama Butterfly (in 2025)

This Season’s Shows

Vancouver Opera’s 2025-26 Season once again features three productions. One takes place in the fall of 2025, while the other two happen in the first few months of 2026. All three are sung in Italian with English surtitles.

Although not part of the opera season itself, Goh Ballet’s The Nutcracker is presented in partnership with Vancouver Opera and features music by the Vancouver Opera Orchestra. The show takes place from December 18th to 21st, 2025, at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

Rigoletto

The first show of the season was Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto, which played at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on October 25th, October 30th, and November 2nd, 2025. It tells the story of the hunchbacked court jester of a corrupt duke and of the jester’s daughter, who gets wrapped up in a curse.

The opera was immediately popular when it debuted in Italy in the mid-19th century and is considered one of Verdi’s masterpieces today. It’s based on the French play Le roi s’amuse, written by Victor Hugo.

Our team attended opening night, which was a full sell-out ending with a longer-than-usual standing ovation.

Così Fan Tutte

The show takes the stage at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on February 7th, 12th, and 15th, 2026. This performance is a comedic opera composed by Mozart. The title is typically translated into English as “Women are like that”.

The opera is based on two engaged couples, in which the two men disguise themselves to try to woo the other’s fiancée, as part of a bet to see whether they will stay faithful.

La Bohème

The final opera of this season was composed by Giacomo Puccini. It’s one of the most popular Italian operas ever written and one of the most commonly performed worldwide.

In 2026, the production plays at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on April 25th, 26th, and 30th, as well as on May 2nd and 3rd.

The love story begins with a group of four poor artists living together in Paris. One day, one of them meets a seamstress who lives nearby and they fall in love, only to have their relationship tested by poverty and poor health.

Vancouver Opera Cast from HMS Pinafore

Vancouver Opera in Schools and Other Programs

Vancouver Opera in Schools provides professional opera performances in schools throughout BC. It’s one of the biggest programs of its kind in the country. These shows are sung in English (as opposed to Italian or French, as in the mainstage productions) and serve to introduce students to opera as an art form.

Vancouver Opera also offers specific programs for youth of various school ages. There is Project Opera for elementary students. It offers teachers different ways to bring in Vancouver Opera artists to their classrooms. There are also mentorship programs for high school students and summer camps.

Finally, there are programs for adults as well like Opera 101. It’s a five-part course taught over Zoom that serves as an introduction to the history and modern world of opera.

Tips and Advice

Below are some suggestions and extra information to help you make the most out of your opera experience.

Things to Know In Advance

TIP #1: Arrive early. Don’t risk getting there late because of traffic!

TIP #2: Consider joining the pre-show talk before the main performance begins, especially if you are new to opera or not familiar with the particular production. The background information is very interesting and can help understand the story.

TIP #3: Except for the fact that you have to look up extra high to see the screen with the surtitles, the best seats in the house, arguably, in our opinion, are at the very front of the theatre, and in the middle of the auditorium. There, you can see the whole stage and the actors up close (a wonderful, amazing experience).

Post Show Talk and Interviews — Post-Show Talk at HMS Pinafore

Things to Know about the Show

TIP #1: If the production is in Italian, French or German, and you aren’t fluent in that particular language or already familiar with the story, then consider reading up on the plot in advance. This will help you better understand and follow the story, enhancing your experience.

TIP #2: Don’t forget that the words of the singing are projected (in English) on a screen above the stage. Consequently, even if you don’t understand Italian, you can still understand the story and what the actors are singing.

TIP #3: The subtitles are easy to see from pretty much everywhere in the theatre. If you plan to rely on them heavily, however, you might not want to sit in the first few rows, especially if you have a bad neck.

TIP #4: Photos and video are not permitted during the performance, except at the very end when the actors are taking their bows, at which point the audience is invited to take out their cameras and phones to take pictures.