On August 24, Ukraine’s Independence Day, the 10th Velvet Season at the Odesa Opera International Arts Festival will begin. The festival will run until September 14.
The program includes premieres, opera and ballet classics, modern productions, and gala concerts.
The festival will open with a new stage version of “Natalka Poltavka”, an opera by Mykola Lysenko.
As part of the festival, a special book will be presented: Odesa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre: Legacy, Soul, Citadel. It tells the story of the theatre’s long history, cultural importance, and role in Ukrainian and global art.
The festival will close in Greece with a performance of Adolphe Adam’s “Giselle” by leading artists of the Odesa Opera. This symbolic finale highlights the unity of cultures and the influence of ancient art on European opera traditions.
Velvet Season at the Odesa Opera is one of Ukraine’s largest opera and ballet festivals. Since its launch in 2015, it has promoted both Ukrainian and international art, confirming Odesa’s reputation as the cultural capital of southern Ukraine.