Òpera Popular de Barcelona opened its 2026–2027 season with Carmen, one of the productions that most clearly defines the company’s artistic identity.
A Carmen born in Barcelona
The performance took place at 7 pm on 12 September 2026 at the Palau de la Música Catalana. The Palau is the venue; Òpera Popular de Barcelona is the company that created and produced the work.
The staging sets the action in a bitter, Mediterranean Barcelona of the 1960s. Carmen’s freedom, Don José’s obsession and the violence running through the story take on a grotesque dimension, staining the familiar picturesque image with tragedy and blood.
An original production with a future
Jaume Villanueva’s staging focuses on Carmen as a woman who lives without asking permission in a world that cannot tolerate her freedom. The production returns to the Palau on 26 February and 12 June 2027.
With this season opener, the company reaffirms its direct, theatrical and distinctive approach to opera—rooted in Barcelona and ready to travel to other stages.