The 41st Opera Season at Palma’s Teatre Principal brings together five staged works and one concert between October 2026 and June 2027. The programme spans different periods and musical styles, from Baroque opera to zarzuela and 20th-century works, featuring international productions and leading performers.
Photo: teatreprincipal.com
The season opens on 28 October with Faust, by Charles Gounod, and concludes in June 2027 with Madama Butterfly, by Giacomo Puccini. Between these performances, the programme includes La tabernera del puerto, Orlando furioso and Pierrot Lunaire, as well as the traditional Easter Concert. One of this season’s new features is the inclusion of an opera by Antonio Vivaldi for the first time in the event’s history.
Faust opens the season with an international production
The first performance of the season is Faust, by Charles Gounod, staged on 28 and 30 October at 20:00, and 1 November at 18:00.
The Teatre Principal hosts a production by the Opéra de Lille, the Opéra-Comique in Paris and the Palazzetto Bru Zane in Venice, with stage direction by Denis Podalydès and musical direction by Alejandro Cantalapiedra. The production stands out for its costumes, designed by Christian Lacroix, and for reviving the original 1859 version, which includes spoken dialogue in French.
More than 120 artists and professionals are involved in the production, with a cast led by Sunnyboy Dladla as Faust, Nicolás Cavallier as Méphistophélès and Verónica Granatiero as Marguerite. Mallorcan performers Begoña Gómez, Joan Miquel Muñoz and Jordi Fontana also take part, alongside the Cor del Teatre Principal and the Orquestra Simfònica de les Illes Balears.
The theatre’s director, Miquel Martorell, highlights that “Faust is a production that stands out for its theatrical ambition, visual beauty and ability to transport audiences into a world of great poetic power”. He also describes presenting this original version with French dialogue in Palma as “an exceptional opportunity”.
Inspired by Goethe’s work about a scholar who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for youth, the opera returns to the Principal following its last performance in June 2009.
From Sorozábal’s zarzuela to Vivaldi’s Baroque opera
The programme continues on 8 and 10 January 2027 with La tabernera del puerto, one of Pablo Sorozábal’s best-known zarzuelas. The work comes to Palma in a production by Madrid’s Teatro de la Zarzuela, with stage direction by Mario Gas and musical direction by Manuel Coves.
In February, the season turns to Baroque opera with Orlando furioso, by Antonio Vivaldi. Performances take place on 17, 19 and 21 February 2027, marking a milestone for the season as it is the first time an opera by the Venetian composer has featured in its programme.
The inclusion of Vivaldi broadens the musical scope of a season spanning the Baroque repertoire through to 20th-century compositions.
Schönberg and Puccini complete the programme
On 28 April 2027, the Principal presents Pierrot Lunaire, by Arnold Schönberg, a new co-production by the theatre. This chamber vocal work, one of the landmarks of 20th-century music, introduces a musical language distinct from that of the programme’s major operatic works.
The season concludes with Madama Butterfly, by Giacomo Puccini, with four performances on 14, 16, 18 and 20 June 2027. The production stars soprano Erika Grimaldi, who takes on one of the most iconic roles in the Italian operatic repertoire.
The programme also includes the Easter Concert, scheduled for 24 March under the direction of Carles Ponsetí.
Teatre Principal Opera Season 2026–2027: full schedule
- 28 and 30 October and 1 November 2026: Faust, by Charles Gounod.
- 8 and 10 January 2027: La tabernera del puerto, by Pablo Sorozábal.
- 17, 19 and 21 February 2027: Orlando furioso, by Antonio Vivaldi.
- 24 March 2027: Easter Concert, conducted by Carles Ponsetí.
- 28 April 2027: Pierrot Lunaire, by Arnold Schönberg.
- 14, 16, 18 and 20 June 2027: Madama Butterfly, by Giacomo Puccini.
The full programme and ticket information are available on the official website of Palma’s Teatre Principal.
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