The Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona has unveiled its 2025–26 season, centred around the theme “the unpredictable.” This concept not only shapes the opera programming but also frames a series of interdisciplinary collaborations and new commissions, reinforcing the theatre’s commitment to both tradition and innovation.
Among the season’s most anticipated moments is the debut of Lise Davidsen as Isolde in a new production of Richard Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, directed by Bárbara Lluch and conducted by Susanna Mälkki. Asmik Grigorian stars in Giacomo Puccini’s Manon Lescaut, with Josep Pons on the podium and staging by Àlex Ollé. Xabier Anduaga leads a new Werther by Jules Massenet, in a production by Christof Loy and conducted by Henrik Nánási, alternating in the title role with Matthew Polenzani.
The season opens in September with Leoš Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen, directed by Barrie Kosky and conducted by Josep Pons, with Peter Mattei, Elena Tsallagova and Angela Brower among the soloists. In October and November, Philip Glass’s Akhnaten arrives in a staging by Phelim McDermott, conducted by Karen Kamensek, with Anthony Roth Costanzo as Akhnaten and Rihab Chaieb as Nefertiti.
In December, Gaetano Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore returns in Mario Gas’s production, conducted by Diego Matheuz, with a cast that includes Pretty Yende, Serena Sáenz, Marina Monzó, Javier Camarena, Michael Spyres and Filipe Manu.
Amilcare Ponchielli’s La Gioconda takes the stage in February 2026 in a co-production with Teatro di San Carlo, directed by Romain Gilbert and conducted by Daniel Oren. The cast features Saioa Hernández, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Michael Fabiano, Martin Muehle and Violeta Urmana.
A new production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, directed by Marta Pazos and conducted by Giovanni Antonini, will feature Andrè Schuen, Adriana González, Sara Blanch, Konstantin Krimmel, Julia Lezhneva and Samuel Hasselhorn.
The season will close with Giuseppe Verdi’s Falstaff in a new staging by Laurent Pelly, featuring Luca Salsi and Ambrogio Maestri sharing the title role. The production marks the farewell of Josep Pons as the Liceu’s music director.
The Liceu’s interdisciplinary strand is led this season by Marina Abramović, who curates the visual arts programme and presents her provocative performance piece Balkan Erotic Epic. Other collaborations include works by Joan Jonas, Enric Casasses, Santi Moix, Liu Bolin, Gonzalo Guzmán and Eulàlia Valldosera.
New operatic creations include Els Stuntmen, a contemporary work by Nao Albet and Marcel Borràs, with music by Fernando Velázquez, exploring masculinity through irony and action. The micro-opera project Òh!pera also returns with three new works by composers Sergi Puig, Arnau Brichs and Anna Colom, under the mentorship of Àlex Ollé.
The recital and concert series features artists such as Renée Fleming, Roberto Alagna, Juan Diego Flórez, Pretty Yende, Xabier Anduaga, and Jordi Savall. Among the staged vocal works, Marc Minkowski conducts Georg Friedrich Händel’s Orlando with Les Musiciens du Louvre, while René Jacobs leads Aci, Galatea e Polifemo with Kammerorchester Basel. Paolo Arrivabeni will conduct Gioachino Rossini’s Semiramide, with Adela Zaharia, Franco Fagioli and Marko Mimica.
The season also sees the conclusion of Josep Pons’s Mahler symphony cycle with performances of the Eighth and Ninth Symphonies. These concerts mark the end of his 14-year tenure with the Liceu. The digital platform Liceu Opera+ will return, offering expanded streaming and immersive content.
For the full programme, visit the Grand Teatro del Liceau website
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