Pacific Opera Victoria’s season at the Royal Theatre begins October 16–24 with Verdi’s Il Trovatore, a sweeping drama of love, revenge and mistaken identity. Presented in co-production with Vancouver Opera, it delivers grand opera at full force, with soaring voices, stirring choruses, political intrigue and the famous “Anvil Chorus.”
From February 19–27, Hansel & Gretel takes audiences in an entirely different direction. Created by The Old Trout Puppet Workshop and Pacific Opera Victoria Artistic Director Brenna Corner, Humperdinck’s beloved fairytale comes to life through large-scale puppetry, magical creatures and a wonderfully theatrical gingerbread house. Playful, surprising and full of heart, it’s an inviting introduction to opera for audiences of all ages.
The mainstage season concludes April 2–10 with Mozart’s The Magic Flute, an adventure through enchanted realms where music itself has the power to reveal truth. Filled with humour, fantasy and some of Mozart’s most recognizable music, it follows Tamino and Papageno through a world of trials and discovery in search of love and wisdom.
Beyond the Royal Theatre, Pacific Opera continues to broaden the ways audiences can experience the art form. The season includes Remembering Mary’s Wedding, an intimate reimagining of the Victoria-born opera for narrator, two singers and piano, as well as Albertine en cinq temps – L’opéra, an operatic adaptation of Michel Tremblay’s landmark Québec play.
With more matinee performances and new youth ticket pricing across the mainstage season, there are also more ways to make opera part of your year.
Whether you come for Verdi’s drama, Mozart’s magic, giant puppets or something entirely new, Pacific Opera Victoria’s 2026–27 season offers plenty of reasons to experience what happens when music and storytelling meet.
