Lunchtime music returns to Dublin this August for the 27th Opera in the Open

Dublin City Council's Opera in the Open is an annual series of free, outdoor performances that returns to Wood Quay this August

News Stephen Holland Local Democracy Reporter 12:27, 29 Jul 2026 View Image Opera in the Open (Image: Dublin City Council)

Good news for culture vultures as the annual Opera in the Open is back in Dublin this August for a series of free, outdoor performances.

Dublin City Council has announced the return of this annual free concert series for its 27th year. Taking place on four consecutive Thursdays from 1pm to 2pm at the Civic Offices Amphitheatre on Wood Quay , Opera in the Open runs from August 6 - 27.

The Amphitheatre features a raised stage, seating areas, and grassy verges perfect for a picnic lunch. It is conveniently accessible from Winetavern Street and space is made available for wheelchair users. Attendees are encouraged to bring cushions, blankets and camping chairs for additional comfort if desired.

While opera can be associated with elitist exclusivity, Opera in the Open proves its popularity among all cohorts as attendees of all ages and descriptions enjoy classical music and timeless stories every year. For more information, please see https://www.dublincityartsoffice.ie/news-events/opera-in-the-open-2026

Madama Butterfly is an opera composed by Giacomo Puccini. Set in Nagasaki, Japan at the beginning of the 20th century, it tells the tragic story of Cio-Cio-San, known as Butterfly, a young Japanese girl who marries an American naval officer B. F. Pinkerton. Shortly after the marriage, Pinkerton returns to America, leaving Butterfly behind.

For three years, she waits faithfully for his return, raising their son whose existence is unknown to Pinkerton. When Pinkerton eventually returns to Japan with his new American wife, Kate, they seek to adopt the child. Realising that her dreams are shattered and there is no future between herself and Pinkerton, Butterfly agrees to give up her son and then takes her own life in a shocking and tragic ending.

Dido and Aeneas is an opera by English composer Henry Purcell in the late 17th century, based on the mythological romance between Dido, Queen of Carthage, and the Trojan Aeneas. An enemy of Carthage, the Sorceress, sees the two deeply in love and plots to use this to destroy Carthage; she tricks Aeneas into believing the gods want him to sail for Italy.

Aeneas is torn between his love for Dido and his faith in the gods and, despite his reservations, eventually sails with the Trojan fleet. After he departs, the famous Dido’s Lament brings the opera to a close.

Orphée aux Enfers (Orpheus in the Underworld) is a comic opera by Jacques Offenbach, first performed in 1858. A satirical adaptation of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, it turns the traditional story on its head: rather than being devoted lovers, Orphée and Eurydice can barely tolerate one another.

When Eurydice is carried off to the Underworld by Pluto, Orphée is delighted to be rid of her until he is compelled by the character of Public Opinion to attempt a rescue. What follows is a lively and irreverent comedy featuring quarrelling gods, romantic intrigues and the famous Galop Infernal—better known today as the can-can. The opera ends not in tragedy but in comic fashion, with Eurydice gaining her freedom and escaping a return to her unhappy marriage.

A celebration of the life and works of the 19th century Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, known for works such as La Traviata, Rigoletto, and Il Trovatore.

This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme

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