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OPERAFEST LISBOA i
Operafest 2025 — Forbidden Loves Take Over Lisbon & Oeiras This Summer
Details
07 August 2025
Lisbon / Portugal
Platform Members, Roadshow
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OPERAFEST LISBOA
OPERAFEST LISBOA - Traviata
Rave-Operatica-_-Destaque-EN
Dido-e-Eneias-_-Destaque-EN
Cine-Opera-_-Destaque-EN1
A-Libertacao-do-Som-_-Destaque-PT
Julie-_-Destaque-EN
Flauta-Magica-_-Destaque-EN
OPERAFEST LISBON - Traviata
About the project
The sixth edition of Operafest Lisboa & Oeiras runs from 7 August to 16 September 2025, celebrating opera as a living, multifaceted art form under the theme of amores proibidos — the forbidden loves that have inspired some of the most powerful stories in the repertoire. Led by soprano Catarina Molder and produced by Ópera do Castelo, the festival continues its mission to make opera bold, accessible, and deeply connected to contemporary life.
Spanning historic and contemporary venues across Greater Lisbon, the programme blends classical works, baroque rarities, national premieres, and family-friendly productions. Highlights include Verdi’s La Traviata and the festival’s signature Operatic Rave at the Convento da Cartuxa in Caxias, Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas at the Aula Magna, the national premiere of Philippe Boesmans’ Julie at Culturgest, and a new staging of Mozart’s The Magic Flute at the Centro Cultural Olga Cadaval, filmed for broadcast on RTP2. Beyond performances, Operafest offers workshops, conferences, and a cine-opera programme at the Cinemateca Portuguesa, fostering audience engagement, artistic dialogue, and immersive experiences.
Through this layered approach, each production becomes a portal to new narratives, perspectives, and emotional resonances, bridging tradition and innovation. Born in the midst of the pandemic, Operafest has quickly established itself as one of Europe’s most adventurous opera festivals, nurturing national talent, attracting new audiences, and reaffirming opera as both a shared cultural heritage and a dynamic space for experimentation across generations.
Platform Member Ópera do Castelo
For Ópera do Castelo, the power of opera lies in its ability to transmit the human world—its traditions, emotions, and social fabric—through music, theatre, and storytelling, creating experiences that no other form of expression can fully convey.
