Saaremaa Opera Festival

Tuesday 25 July – Sunday 30 July 2023

The XVI Saaremaa Opera Festival will take place in the Kuressaare castle courtyard on 25-30 July. This year you can get acquainted with the Maria Bieșu National Opera and Ballet Theatre from Moldova.

In addition to high artistic quality, the goal of choosing guest theaters for the beloved Saaremaa Opera Festival has always been presenting opera lovers with new national cultures and theatres. Maria Bieșu National Opera and Ballet Theatre (Teatrul Naţional de Operă şi Balet “Maria Bieșu” din Republica Moldova) is one of the leading opera and ballet theatres in Eastern Europe. The theatre has become known as a promoter of high-level music and theatre performances and has given impetus to the international careers of many singers and dancers.

The National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Moldova brings real musical treats to the Saaremaa Opera Festival with performances such as Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot and La Bohème, Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida, and the program of the guest theatre will end with a festive opera gala. As tradition has it, on the last day of the festival, a ballet gala for small theatre lovers takes place, this year with the legendary Estonian prima ballerina Kaie Kõrb as the artistic director.

Estonia’s first opera festival originates from 1999. Since 2008, the Saaremaa Opera Festival has been organized by Eesti Kontsert, and the artistic director of the festival is Arne Mikk. The central venue of the festival has become the well-known attraction of Western Estonia, the medieval Kuressaare castle with its courtyard where an opera house with a capacity of 2,000 spectators is built.

Kuressaare, the capital of Saaremaa, is particularly lively at the time: the terraces of cafes are open until late at night and the people are in a festive mood.

Tickets for the Saaremaa Opera Festival can be purchased on the Opera Festival’s official website www.saaremaaopera.com as well as on Piletimaailm (www.piletimaailm.com).

Should you wish to stay at Pädaste Manor, dine at Alexander Restaurant, or enjoy a fabulous lunch at Pädaste Yacht Club during Saaremaa Opera Festival, we recommend making reservations well in advance. 

For reservations and inquiries please contact our Guest Relations Manager info@padaste.ee or dial +372 45 48 800.