Classical Music and Opera & Ballet

Browse our growing guide to the best Classical Music Concerts, Opera & Ballet events and festivals in Oxford and across Oxfordshire.

Ellen Kent’s Carmen

New Theatre Oxford 24-26 George Street, Oxford

Senbla presents Ellen Kent’s Carmen, the Opera International’s award-winning production featuring an evening of passion, sexual jealousy, death and unforgettable arias.

From £13.00

Ellen Kent’s Madama Butterfly

New Theatre Oxford 24-26 George Street, Oxford

One of the world’s most popular operas, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly tells the heart-breaking story of the beautiful young Japanese girl who falls in love with an American naval lieutenant – with dramatic results.

From £13.00

Sleeping Beauty by Varna International Ballet

New Theatre Oxford 24-26 George Street, Oxford

Every child’s favourite fairy tale, this is the classic story of love and innocence, mystery and magic set to Tchaikovsky’s sublime score.

From £13.00

The Nutcracker by Varna International Ballet

New Theatre Oxford 24-26 George Street, Oxford

This most famous fantasy ballet for all the family begins as night falls on Christmas Eve. And when midnight strikes, we are swept away to a fairy-tale world where nothing is quite as it seems.

From £13.00

Swan Lake by Varna International Ballet

New Theatre Oxford 24-26 George Street, Oxford

From the impressive splendour of the Palace ballroom to the moon-lit lake where swans glide in perfect formation, this compelling tale of tragic romance has it all.

From £13.00

Death In Venice by Welsh National Opera

New Theatre Oxford 24-26 George Street, Oxford

Inspired by the original Thomas Mann novella, Britten’s magnificently atmospheric opera comes to life in this new production from the WNO.

From £13.00

Così fan Tutte by Welsh National Opera

New Theatre Oxford 24-26 George Street, Oxford

Welsh National Opera takes you back to school with a brand new production of Mozart’s comic opera Così fan tutte, also known as The School for Lovers, directed by Max Hoehn (The Consul).

From £13.00

  • Waterperry Opera Festival 2023

    Waterperry Opera Festival 2023

    With eight productions this summer, Waterperry Opera Festival 2023 is the perfect opportunity to fall in love with this splendid art form.

  • Oxford Piano Festival 2023

    Oxford Piano Festival 2023

    The Oxford Piano Festival is nine days of piano festivities, with a packed schedule of masterclasses and concerts from top names in the piano world.

  • Welsh National Opera – Candide

    Welsh National Opera – Candide

    Leonard Bernstein’s Candide is a supercharged wild ride in which 18th-century France crashes into 20th-century post-war America.

  • Bruckner Seven with Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra

    Bruckner Seven with Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra

    For this culmination of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra’s season at the Sheldonian Theatre, Marios Papadopoulos conducts Bruckner’s symphony here after Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2

  • Opera Anywhere’s HMS Pinafore at St Mary the Virgin, Long Wittenham

    Opera Anywhere’s HMS Pinafore at St Mary the Virgin, Long Wittenham

    This is a tale of mismatched love across different social classes. Climb aboard to find out and enjoy a feast of fun along the way. Hip hip hooray!

  • Opera Anywhere’s HMS Pinafore at Heath Farm

    Opera Anywhere’s HMS Pinafore at Heath Farm

    Find stunning views of the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside for HMS Pinafore on the outdoor stage at lakeside amphitheatre at Heath Farm.

  • Ballet Central Tour 2023

    Ballet Central Tour 2023

    Experience the magic of world-class live ballet right on your doorstep when the Ballet Central Tour performs at Chipping Norton Theatre.

  • Swan Lake by English Youth Ballet

    Swan Lake by English Youth Ballet

    This powerful new adaptation of one of the world’s most cherished classical ballets stars English Youth Ballet’s international principals and talented young dancers from the local area.

  • The Orchestral Music of Afghanistan

    The Orchestral Music of Afghanistan

    Featuring new compositions by Afghan composers living in exile, this concert celebrates the rich history of traditional Afghan music at a time when making music in Afghanistan is forbidden.

  • Young Artist Gala

    Young Artist Gala

    This year, the Waterperry Opera Festival Young Artists will present a Gala concert comprising selected arias and ensembles from several different operas.

  • Flora

    Flora

    FLORA, a new commission, is a multi-disciplinary work exploring gesture and femininity through both music and dance.

  • Wagner at Twilight

    Wagner at Twilight

    An intimate evening concert of two of Wagner’s small-scale masterpieces, juxtaposing music expressing the purity of nature and the turbulence of human emotion: themes which are at once contrasting and yet both intensely Wagnerian.