On Saturday, October 24, El Café de la Ópera hosted a celebration of more than six hours of music and gastronomy, featuring free lyrical performances, surprise appearances, opera out on the street and a special edition of its emblematic Una Cena Cantada
The initiative sought to bring opera closer to new audiences —especially younger ones— through a close, immersive experience that made it possible to discover and understand some of the great pieces of opera and zarzuela
What if a first experience of opera did not take place in a theatre seat, but around a table, having a drink with friends or strolling through the centre of Madrid?
On the occasion of World Opera Day, celebrated on October 25, El Café de la Ópera set out to break down the traditional barriers between opera and its audience with a special event held on Saturday, October 24, from 5:30 pm to 11:30 pm, under one premise: to invite Madrid to experience its first opera.
For more than six hours, the historic venue located opposite the Teatro Real combined free performances, surprise appearances, musical outreach and gastronomy, before culminating the celebration with Una Cena Cantada – Special Edition, an extraordinary edition of an experience that El Café de la Ópera has been running for nearly 30 years.
FREE OPERA, OPEN TO MADRID
The celebration began at 5:30 pm in the gastrobar of El Café de la Ópera, with free admission and live lyrical performances. The music also reached its terrace, opposite the Teatro Real, taking part of the celebration out onto the street and bringing opera closer to locals, visitors and curious passers-by walking through the centre of the capital.
Throughout the afternoon, different performers made surprise appearances among the audience, turning everyday spaces of the restaurant into improvised stages.
One of the goals of this edition was to bring opera closer especially to those who had never had any contact with it and to new generations, showing that opera can be discovered in a natural, approachable way, free of prejudice.
To that end, after each of the performances, the artists themselves explained to the audience which piece they had just performed, its context and some of its most interesting elements, turning every performance into a small gateway to the genre.
At 6:30 pm came one of the central moments of the afternoon, “Tu primera ópera” (“Your First Opera”), designed specifically to bring the genre closer to new audiences.
At 7:00 pm, “El Brindis de la Ópera” (“The Opera Toast”) took place, one of the great collective moments of the celebration, in which music, artists and audience came together to raise a toast to the present and future of opera.
The free performances continued until approximately 8:00 pm.
UNA CENA CANTADA – SPECIAL EDITION: THE GREAT NIGHT OF OPERA
From 8:30 pm, the celebration moved to the main hall with Una Cena Cantada – Special Edition, an extraordinary, limited-capacity edition accessible by advance reservation only.
For the occasion, El Café de la Ópera served an exclusive menu created especially for the evening, with wine pairing included, accompanied by a staging conceived to celebrate two of the great expressions of lyrical art: opera and zarzuela.
The artists of the El Café de la Ópera Lyric Company, dressed in period costumes, performed some of the most representative arias of the operatic repertoire, together with a special tribute to some of the most celebrated romanzas of Spanish zarzuela, thereby championing a lyrical genre born in Spain and closely tied to its cultural heritage.
The night reached its high point at around 10:30 pm with a grand joint finale, conceived especially for this celebration.
It was an experience in which the performers did not remain distant on a stage: the voices appeared among the tables, moved through the hall and interacted with the diners, making the audience part of the show.
NEARLY 30 YEARS MAKING OPERA A CLOSE EXPERIENCE
Located at Calle Arrieta, 6, opposite the Teatro Real, El Café de la Ópera will turn 30 next year, combining gastronomy and live music through its distinctive Una Cena Cantada.
Over the course of its history, acclaimed lyrical voices and top-level pianists have turned its halls into a unique stage, welcoming audiences from every continent.
Under the artistic direction of Manuel Ganchegui, the El Café de la Ópera Lyric Company is distinguished by the closeness of its performers, vocal quality and a staging in which the usual distance between artist and spectator disappears.
With this celebration, El Café de la Ópera joined the international spirit of World Opera Day and the outreach initiatives promoted by the organisation Opera Europa, turning for a few hours one of the venues most closely tied to opera in Madrid into a space open to all.
It was a day to take opera out of its traditional spaces, bring it to the street and, above all, awaken the curiosity of a new generation of audiences.
Because to fall in love with opera, you first have to be given the chance to discover it.
PROGRAMME · WORLD OPERA DAY
Saturday, October 24, 2026
5:30 pm – Opening of the World Opera Day event
6:00 pm – First surprise appearance
6:30 pm – “Tu primera ópera” (“Your First Opera”)
7:00 pm – “El Brindis de la Ópera” (“The Opera Toast”)
7:30 pm – Final free performances
8:00 pm – End of the experience open to the public
8:30 pm – Una Cena Cantada – Special Edition
10:30 pm approx. – Grand joint finale
INFORMATION
Event: World Opera Day Celebration – El Café de la Ópera
Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026
Venue: El Café de la Ópera – C/ Arrieta, 6, Madrid, opposite the Teatro Real
Free event: from 5:30 pm in the gastrobar and terrace
Una Cena Cantada – Special Edition: 8:30 pm, advance reservation required
Una Cena Cantada – Special Edition price: €90 per person
Una Cena Cantada – Special Edition menu:
Iberian ham croquettes on banana leaf with piquillo pepper jam
Mango salmorejo with avocado ice cream and Hawaiian black salt
Grilled salmon with PX sauce and baby potatoes with fine herbs
Orange duck confit with creamy parmentier
Creamy Galician cheese tart with dark chocolate tuile and artisan violet ice cream
Wines:
White wine. Finca Os Cobatos Godello
Red wine. Negu de Baigorri
Cava. Kripta Rosé
Price: €90
ABOUT EL CAFÉ DE LA ÓPERA
Since 1997, El Café de La Ópera has offered a unique proposal in Madrid where live music and signature cuisine go hand in hand. Located opposite the Teatro Real, it hosts the acclaimed Una Cena Cantada with its own first-class lyric company. Its Ópera Brunch, Piano Jazz sessions and cocktail terrace also stand out. Its elegant atmosphere, gastronomic offering and connection to the world of opera have made it an international reference. More information and reservations at www.elcafedelaopera.com
