'Aida' Opens Liceu's 2026/27 Season
The Gran Teatre del Liceu officially opened its 2026/27 season on Friday 25 September with a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida, marking the start of a programme under the theme (Des)sacralize. The production is directed by Iranian artist Shirin Neshat, making her opera stage debut, and explores themes of war, authoritarian power, and impossible love.
The title role will be performed by four dramatic sopranos, including the imposing Russian diva Anna Netrebko.
Neshat’s critically engaged interpretation was co-produced with the Opéra national de Paris and originally conceived for the Salzburg Festival. It presents Aida as a mirror of contemporary conflicts surrounding political control, religious fanaticism, and human dignity.
Political and Cultural Figures in Attendance
Among those attending the premiere were Catalan government officials: Salvador Illa, President of the Generalitat; Ernest Urtasun, Minister of Culture; and Jordi Hereu, Minister of Industry. Also present were Helena Guardans, newly appointed President of the Gran Teatre del Liceu Foundation, and her predecessor Salvador Alemany. Institutional representatives included Albert Dalmau and Sònia Hernández, ministers for Presidency and Culture; Lluïsa Moret, President of the Diputació de Barcelona; and Maria Eugènia Gay, Second Deputy Mayor of Barcelona. Cultural figures such as actor Àngel Llacer and models Judit Mascó and Verónica Blume also attended.
Controversy Over Anna Netrebko
Around 25 protesters gathered outside the theatre ahead of the performance to oppose the participation of soprano Anna Netrebko. Born in Russia, Netrebko faced criticism for her past support of Vladimir Putin’s 2012 presidential campaign, despite condemning the war in Ukraine in 2022. Protesters carried banners reading 'Concerts by Netrebko, bombs for Ukraine' and 'Every entry to Russian culture is a direct hit on Ukraine'. Netrebko performs the title role in four shows, including the opening night. She shares the role with Anna Pirozzi, Olga Maslova, and Ewa Plonka across 17 scheduled performances. Piotr Beczała and Yusif Eyvazov alternate as Radamès, while Ekaterina Semenchuk and Fiorenza Cedolins portray Amneris.
Youth Access and Visual Artistic Direction
Two days before the official opening, on 23 September, an exclusive Under35 performance of Aida was held, part of the Liceu’s initiative to broaden access among younger audiences. The theatre supports over 45,000 under-35 subscribers through its LiceUnder35 programme, offering discounted experiences throughout the season. Shirin Neshat also shaped the visual identity of the entire 2026/27 season, contributing Persian calligraphy and personal symbolism to the season book and designing the visual universe for Gustavo Dudamel’s concert performance of Scheherazade, co-produced with the New York Philharmonic. More details on the full season, including productions like La jove Aïda, a technological reinterpretation by Jordi Casanovas, Marian Márquez and Onionlab, are available via the Liceu's official season announcement.
Primary sources: eb.gencat.cat, govern.cat. Reported by europapress.es, Europa Press, liceubarcelona.cat, lavanguardia.com, Web design, en.ara.cat, elpais.com, Diseño web, infobae.com, barcelonaopera-tickets.com, ca.wikipedia.org, El País Barcelona, La Vanguardia Catalonia, Europa Press Barcelona.
