The guiding motto of this year’s edition is: “Myths, Charms, and Superstitions. Stories That Build Community.” This slogan does not refer to folkloristic ornamentation, but rather to the fundamental mechanisms of shaping national and cultural identity—to stories that bring order to the world, give meaning to history, and define the relationship between the individual and the community.
In a world of rapid technological, political, and social change, art remains one of the last spaces in which humanity can not only comment on reality but also attempt to understand and come to terms with it. Since its inception, the Baltic Opera Festival has treated opera not as a museum artefact, but as a living language for telling stories about the contemporary world—about fear, identity, community, and responsibility.
“Art should respond to reality, engage in dialogue, build bridges across divisions, and stand on the side of tolerance,” emphasizes Tomasz Konieczny, the festival’s artistic director. “From the very beginning, it was clear to us that the Baltic Opera Festival should be a meeting place for different traditions, sensibilities, and narratives.”
The 4th edition of the Baltic Opera Festival, to be held in the summer of 2026 in Sopot and Gdańsk, consistently develops this idea. Its central highlights will be two works: the monumental The Valkyrie by Richard Wagner and the Polish staged world premiere of Polish Wedding by Józef Beer.
