Where music and gardens meet

A message from Edmonton Opera:

Music and gardens have kept company for centuries. Long before opera took centre stage in grand theatres, people gathered outdoors to eat, talk, and enjoy music on warm summer evenings. Opera al Fresco continues that tradition at the beautiful University of Alberta Botanic Garden, where extraordinary voices become part of an evening shared with family, friends, and nature.

Now one of Edmonton's favourite summer traditions, Opera al Fresco welcomes returning audiences alongside people discovering opera for the very first time. Year after year, the event sells out, drawing people together for an evening that feels just as much about community as it does about music.

"You're simply in nature," said Joel Ivany, Artistic Director of Edmonton Opera. "You're seeing flowers, you're seeing green, you're hearing birds. And then … comes this human voice."

Hearing those voices in the open air creates a different kind of connection. The performers are close, the setting is intimate, and the music becomes part of everything happening around it: conversations over a charcuterie box, the warmth of a summer evening, and the simple pleasure of gathering together.

"They have a gift that not many of us possess," Ivany said. "And to be able to share that with a responsive audience is so important … It's something that can really feed our souls."

"Opera al Fresco has become one of Edmonton's favourite summer traditions because it brings people together in such a unique way," said Gordana Bosiocic, Interim Executive Director of Edmonton Opera. "There's something special about experiencing extraordinary voices beneath the open sky, surrounded by nature and community. Whether it's someone's first opera or a tradition they return to every summer, we hope they leave feeling inspired, connected, and excited to come back."

Guests are invited to bring a blanket or lawn chair, enjoy a picnic-style charcuterie box, and settle in for an evening where conversation, nature, and music naturally belong together. There is no dress code and no expectation to already know opera, just an invitation to enjoy a live performance in one of Edmonton's most beautiful settings.

For many audience members, Opera al Fresco also becomes the beginning of their Edmonton Opera season. This fall, the company returns to the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium with Rossini's lively comedy The Barber of Seville, followed by Mozart's magical The Magic Flute.

But first, meet us in the garden.

Before the season moves indoors, Opera al Fresco offers one last opportunity to experience live opera beneath the open sky. It's an evening that celebrates music, community, and the simple pleasure of slowing down together. A tradition that has been bringing people together for centuries continues to create unforgettable summer memories in Edmonton.

Tickets for Opera al Fresco on Aug. 26 are available now. Plan your summer evening.