Grimeborn Opera Festival

The Arcola Theatre’s alt-opera festival Grimeborn returns for its 19th year in 2026 and it’s as eclectic as ever. There are, to put it bluntly, a whole lot of operas on, with the most classic surely being a brace of Mozart’s greatest hits in the shape of stripped down takes on Cosi Fan Tutte (Jul 21-25) and The Magic Flute (Aug 25-29). Seeing intimate stagings of these usually enormous cast classics is a thrill, but only part of what Grimeborn’s all about. There’s plenty of new material as well, often in double bills, like brace of new climate operas After My Breath/Eden 2.0 (Jul 15-18) or pairing of murder mysteries Cupboard Love/Three Sisters Who Are Not Sisters (Jul 29-Aug 1). For the full, weeks-long line-up, see the website.