On 25 October, the birthday of two highly influential composers, Georges Bizet and Johann Strauss II, the international opera community celebrates World Opera Day with numerous live and online events.
The recognition of a common need and desire for advocacy for the arts in general, and opera in particular, led the three organisations – OPERA America, Ópera Latinoamérica and Opera Europa (whose members include the Hungarian State Opera) – to join forces to launch a first World Opera Day in 2018. The celebration aims to highlight the positive impact and enduring social value of opera, a multidisciplinary stage art form with centuries of history. According to a survey by Opera Europa, the genre has not lost its popularity: in the past year, European opera houses and companies sold 22 million tickets for their performances, 4 million of which were for children’s and youth productions. In 2024, the Hungarian State Opera sold 415,000 tickets, including nearly 28,000 for performances aimed specifically at young audiences.
On 25 October 2025, the OPERA also offers numerous programs, primarily for young audiences.
At 11:00 a.m., Benjamin Britten’s opera The Little Sweep is performed at the Opera House. The spectacular production directed by Attila Toronykőy, featuring giant puppets, includes performances by László Szvétek, Andrea Meláth, Eszter Zemlényi, as well as the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra and Children’s Chorus, conducted by Nikolett Hajzer.
At 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., the Hungarian National Ballet Institute’s highly successful production Little Sleeping Beauty features children performing for children, introducing them to the beautiful world of classical ballet. This fairy-tale ballet also includes elements of modern dance and tap, showcasing the versatile training of the HNBI students.
At 3:00 p.m., the popular Opera Tour with Papageno offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the mysterious world of the Opera House, from the basement to the attic. (Sold out!)
At 7:00 p.m., László Seregi’s immortal dance drama, the ballet adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, returns to the Opera House. Inspired by Franco Zeffirelli’s timeless 1968 film adaptation, the choreographer created a stage version that became a resounding success and has inspired generations of dance lovers over the past forty years.
The free platform of OperaVision also offers many delights for opera fans. At 8:00 a.m., CET viewers can watch a live broadcast of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro from the Daegu Opera House in South Korea, and at 7:00 p.m., Donizetti’s L'elisir d'amore from Garsington Opera (UK) is also streamed live. Between these broadcasts, audiences can choose from numerous international productions — including Bluebeard’s Castle (Netherlands), Faust (Lille), Rusalka (Brno), Il trittico (Paris), Les contes d'Hoffmann (Zurich), Werther (Zagreb), and Der fliegende Holländer (Dublin) — as well as rewatch the Hungarian State Opera’s 2025 spring production of Maria Stuarda until November 16.
Explore the exciting selection of programmes and join us in celebrating the art of opera.
