Bluebeard’s Castle

A striking and emotional examination of love, loss and memory.

Following its warmly received New Zealand premiere in 2023, New Zealand Opera and Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival present the return of the internationally acclaimed Theatre of Sound (UK) production of Bluebeard’s Castle (Bartók).

We meet an elderly couple in their suburban home; the place in which they’ve built a life together, and which holds all of the memories they’ve shared. But for Judith, home now feels less than familiar. Living with dementia, she seeks to find what’s buried in the trunk of an ever-dimming memory – with her husband and carer acting as her guide, they trace back the steps of their past together.

Don’t miss the production that local reviewers called “Bold”, “Brilliant”, “Exceptional” and “Close to perfection”. With world-class international singers accompanied by the Auckland Philharmonia in an immersive festival staging at the Auckland Town Hall, the 2026 New Zealand Opera season of Bluebeard’s Castle will be a truly unforgettable musical and theatrical experience.