Opera Philadelphia's Festival
O18: September 20-30, 2018
Festival Frequently Asked Questions
Tell me more about the Festival
Why a festival?
Transforming the city of Philadelphia into a giant urban stage, Opera Philadelphia’s annual season-opening festival O represents a thrilling new way to experience opera. The festival format allows Opera Philadelphia to launch each season with a density and breadth of programming that attracts creative and performing artists of the highest caliber.
Will the festival happen every year?
Yes! Beginning in 2017, each Opera Philadelphia season will begin with a multi-day festival.
What about the rest of the season?
The company will continue to present two productions in the Academy of Music: one in February and one in April/May. (The season’s first production in the Academy of Music will be in September as part of the festival.)
Are you still doing Opera on the Mall?
Yes, the annual free HD broadcast at Independence National Historical Park will happen each September as part of the festival.
Where will the festival take place?
Throughout the city! O17 took place at such key venues as the Academy of Music, the Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Barnes Foundation, the Wilma Theater, and Independence National Historical Park.
What repertoire will the festival feature?
The festival will embrace the full gamut of opera from the classic to the cutting-edge.
I am a longtime subscriber; what changes for me?
Very little! The new festival schedule is built around the core Opera at the Academy series. The company will continue to offer a September production (as part of the festival), a February production, and an April/May production in the Academy of Music.
Tell me more about ticketing
Do I have to see everything?
No! Choose exactly how much opera you want to see and when you want to see it.
Do you offer ticket packages? Is there a discount for seeing more than one thing?
Ticket packages include an All-Access Pass and À la carte Packages options. The more you buy, the more you save.
What does Premium, Standard, and Value mean?
Premium, Standard, and Value apply to the seating area in each venue and help you determine the kind of experience you are looking for based on your budget. For example, in the Academy of Music, Premium tickets are Boxes and Zones 1-3, Standard applies to Zones 4 and 5, and Value is Zone 6.
Have additional questions?
We'd love to hear from you. Email hello@operaphila.org or call Guest Services at 215.732.8400.
Initial support for Opera Philadelphia's festival O has been provided by The William Penn Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Wyncote Foundation, The Neubauer Family Foundation, The Wallace Foundation, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, The Presser Foundation, Mrs. Sandra K. Baldino, Judy and Peter Leone, Ms. Barbara Augusta Teichert, Donald and Gay Kimelman, and Caroline Kennedy. O17 has received support from The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, William Penn Foundation, The Wallace Foundation, The Presser Foundation, OPERA America's Building Audiences grant program and an OPERA America Innovation Grant, both supported by the Anne and Gordon Getty Foundation.
The Academy of Music and Perelman Theater are part of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts