Northern Ireland Opera

28/05/2026

Morning Melodies is heading up into the skies in the Observatory Bar at the Grand Central Hotel for the next two events in this very popular regular programme of morning concerts.

On 10 June from 11am to midday, Petra Wells Soprano and mezzo soprano Jenny Hart - Bourke will perform arias and duets with pianist Ryan Greer against the backdrop of the stunning views of Belfast which can be seen from the Grand Central's destination rooftop bar.

On 1 July from 11am to midday we'll be back again this time with soprano Mary McCabe, joined by NI Opera artists who will be announced in the next few weeks.

Tickets are £20 plus booking fee and include a tea/coffee and a traybake. Both the event on 10 June and 1 July only have a limited number of tickets left, so don't delay if you'd like to join us for a morning hour of beautiful music against the stunning Belfast skyline.

Ticket links can be found in the comments below. You can find out more about our Morning Melodies Club too, where you'll save money if you attend all our Morning Melodies concerts and receive invitations to exclusive behind-the-scenes events too.

Arts Council of Northern Ireland Cameron Menzies Belfast Music

27/05/2026

A glimpse behind the scenes during Diva Opera and NI Opera's recent partnership production of La Bohème at the Carlisle Memorial.

The performance was staged in the round, but Carlisle Memorial was filled with vignettes from past NI Opera productions: production shots, costumes and props on display for our audience to get a close look at some of the elements that help bring a show to life.

During a 45 minute interval with drinks and canapés, the audience were able wander through images and moments from some of the operas we've created on stage and screen over the past few years.

Thank you all our sponsors, donors and supporters, with special mention to the Laidlaw Opera Trust and our principal funder Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Our next major production is Carmen at the The Grand Opera House, Belfast in September which is selling very fast, but there are many smaller concerts and events in the diary between now and then so do check out our What's On page via the link in the comments to find out more.

Cameron Menzies
Photos Neil Harrison Photography

23/05/2026

Our next major production at the Grand Opera House: more than half of the tickets are sold already so don't miss out if you haven't booked yet!

20/05/2026

'Intensely moving performance of Puccini’s timeless La Bohème from Diva Opera and NI Opera'

Thank you to Robert Beattie of Seen and Heard International for reviewing our partnership production of Puccini's most famous opera at the Carlisle Memorial on Saturday night.

Read the review via this link:
https://seenandheard-international.com/2026/05/intensely-moving-performance-of-puccinis-timeless-la-boheme-from-diva-opera-and-nio/

Our next major production is Carmen at The Grand Opera House, Belfast - tickets are more than half sold, so don't delay if you haven't booked yet. Full details of all our other performances and events can be found on our website.

Arts Council of Northern Ireland Cameron Menzies Diva Opera

Photo credit Neil Harrison Photography

19/05/2026

A selection of production shots from 'La Bohème' at the weekend, our partnership production at Carlisle Memorial with Diva Opera and members of the NI Opera Chorus.

Thank you to everyone who came to watch the performance, from our community audience at the dress rehearsal to the full house for Saturday's performance. We loved bringing Puccini's wonderful opera to life in the Carlisle Memorial.

Cast:
Marcello: Jean-Kristof Bouton
Rodolfo: Robyn Lyn Evans
Musetta: Tereza Gevorgyan
Mimi: Mary McCabe
Benoit/Alcindoro: Matthew Hargreaves
Colline: Michael Roche
Schaunard: Jerome Knox
Street Seller: Louise Mott
Parpignol: Charles St John
NI Opera Chorus: Susan Shepherd, Olivia Burns, Naomi Cantley, Stephen Rusk, Paul Basso

General Director: Anne Marabini Young, Music and Artistic Director: Bryan Evans, Stage Director: Wayne Morris, Costume Designer and Supervisor, Charlotte Hillier, Wig Design and Supervisor: Joanne Berry, Company Stage Manager, David Stephenson, Stage Manager, Richard Tall.

Photo credit Neil Harrison Photography

With thanks to Diva Opera Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Laidlaw Opera Trust, Belfast Buildings Trust and our Friends, sponsors and supporters.

Cameron Menzies

17/05/2026

La Bohème at the Carlisle Memorial, May 2026, in partnership with

17/05/2026

What an amazing residency we've had in Carlisle Memorial, concluding with our sold-out performance of La Bohème in partnership with last night and including a community dress rehearsal, costume and wigs skills talk and a Morning Melodies concert. More photos coming soon but these are a snapshot selection of the week.

Thank you to all the brilliant artists, creatives and technicians involved in putting this week together, to the Creative Belfast interns and for the use of the building, for catering last night, our fantastic audiences this week and our funders, Laidlaw Opera Trust and who made this week possible.

Huge thanks also to our sponsors and prize donors and the Friends of Northern Ireland Opera, and to and .

14/05/2026

Thank you to Seen and Heard International for talking to Mary McCabe, Anne Marabini Young of Diva Opera and Cameron Menzies our Artistic Director about this weekend's partnership production with Diva Opera of 'La Boheme' at Carlisle Memorial Church.

We're looking forward to welcoming a full house at this spectacular Belfast landmark to enjoy an in the round performance of Puccini's most famous opera, set in 1890s Paris and performed with a Steinway grand piano.

If you've missed out on tickets for this opera, don't forget that tickets are still available for our main stage production of Carmen at the Grand Opera House this September, though they are selling fast, so don't delay booking!

Read the article via the link below:

https://seenandheard-international.com/2026/05/cameron-menzies-anne-marabini-young-and-mary-mccabe-discuss-nio-and-diva-operas-new-la-boheme/

14/05/2026

Thank you to the Irish News for a great feature on La Bohème at the Carlisle this weekend, with interviews by Gail Bell with soprano Mary McCabe making her role debut as Mimi and NI Opera Artistic Director Cameron Menzies about this collaboration with Diva Opera in the stunning Carlisle Memorial.

Find out more in the link below.

Ahead of an exciting new staging of La Boheme in Belfast, soprano Mary McCabe tells Gail Bell why this is a role worth 'dying' for