Georges Bizet’s CARMEN Will Come to Centro Cultural de Belém in Lisbon

OPART/Teatro Nacional de São Carlos will present Georges Bizet’s Carmen at Centro Cultural de Belém in Lisbon, Portugal, Oct. 28-Nov. 1, 2026. The production will have performances Oct. 28 and 30 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 1 at 5 p.m. in CCB’s Main Auditorium.

The opera features a libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy based on Prosper Mérimée’s novella. The story follows Carmen, a woman who refuses to surrender her freedom or love, and Don José, the soldier whose relationship with her leads to tragedy. The opera premiered in Paris in 1875 and has become one of the most frequently performed works in the operatic repertoire.

The production is directed by Francisco López, with Antonio Pirolli serving as musical director. Diogo Ribeiro Pereira is responsible for set design and video design, Jesús Ruiz is the Costume Designer, Leonor Leal Chamorro is the choreographer and bailaora, and Vincenzo Raponi is the lighting designer. Javier Hernandez is the assistant director, while Erregiñe Arrotza serves as assistant Costume Designer.

Georgian mezzo-soprano Ketevan Kemoklidze will perform the title role of Carmen. Gustavo Castillo will play Escamillo, with José de Eça as Don José and Rafaela Albuquerque as Micaëla. The cast also includes Luís Rodrigues as Zuniga, Tiago Matos as Dancaïre, Marco Alves dos Santos as Remendado, Ana Ferro as Mercédès, Raquel Alão as Frasquita, Christian Luján as Moralès and Sónia Aragão as Lillas Pastia.

The production will also feature the Coro do Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, led by principal chorus master Giampaolo Vessella, and the Orquestra Sinfónica Portuguesa. The children's chorus will be provided by the Coro da Escola de Música do Colégio Moderno. Dancers from Companhia Nacional de Bailado — Henriett Ventura, Margarida Pimenta, Paulina Santos and Susana Matos — are also part of the production, along with performers Martim Galamba, Gabriel Palhais, Alex Carvalho, Eric Meireles, Brenno Borges, Gonçalo Ramalho and Rui Westermann.

Carmen will be performed in French with Portuguese surtitles. A pre-performance talk led by musicologist Bárbara Villalobos will take place 30 minutes before each performance at CCB. The production is recommended for audiences ages 12 and older and has an approximate running time of three hours, including an intermission. The ticketing listing gives the total running time as approximately 200 minutes, with a 20-minute interval.