Running throughout September under the theme “Light and Darkness,” the event brings operatic repertoire to the town’s historic heritage sites.

This year, the festival offers “a journey from the Baroque period to the dawn of bel canto and Romanticism,” according to artistic director Carla Caramujo. She curated the program, which spans various eras and styles of the operatic repertoire between September 5 and 20.

Gala Performance

Centred on the theme “Light and Darkness,” the program kicks off on 5 September with the “Meeting of Titans” gala, featuring the Orquestra das Beiras—conducted by Jan Wierzba—and soloists Inês Simões, Susana Gaspar, Beatriz Patrocínio, Cátia Moreso, João Barbas, and André Henriques.

The performance, taking place at the *Praça da Criatividade*, includes excerpts from *Fidelio* (Ludwig van Beethoven’s only opera), *La clemenza di Tito* (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s final opera), and *Der Freischütz* (considered Carl Maria von Weber’s masterpiece, marking the bicentenary of the composer’s death).

During its opening weekend, the festival presents a dialogue between Gioachino Rossini’s *Cinderella, or the Triumph of Goodness* and Alessandro Scarlatti’s *Cain, or the First Murder*.

The former will be performed twice (on the 11th and 12th) at the Convento das Gaeiras, where stage director Pedro Ribeiro “reimagines the classic story, transporting it to the present day and creating a universe defined by surprising set designs,” the organisers announced in a press release.

The second performance will take place on the 12th at the Igreja da Misericórdia, hosting a “Baroque thriller that brings to the stage the biblical story of Abel’s murder at the hands of his brother Cain, exploring themes such as violence, envy, guilt, and the human condition,” according to the statement regarding the show, which is co-produced with the Casa de Mateus Foundation.

The program also includes the recital “From Purcell to Britten: Over Two Centuries of Shakespearean Passion,” scheduled for the 16th at the Abílio de Mattos e Silva Museum.

During the closing weekend, Christoph Willibald Gluck’s *Orfeo ed Euridice* will be presented, once again at the Convento das Gaeiras. In a production directed by Carlos Antunes, the Greek myth is reflected in a staging that combines soloists, a choir, an orchestra, and dance—featuring eight dancers on stage with choreography by Teresa Simas and costumes by José António Tenente.

Hiatus comeback

Established in 2004, the festival has been organised since 2023 by ABA – Banda de Alcobaça Associação de Artes, in partnership with the municipality, following a hiatus between 2011 and 2023.

Tickets are available for purchase at blueticket.meo.pt, the Convento de São Miguel das Gaeiras, ABA – Banda de Alcobaça Associação de Artes, and standard sales outlets.