In its first full season independent from the Kennedy Center, the Washington National Opera will continue to host performances, but at a variety of venues in the area.

The opera announced on Friday its 2026-2027 season, which consists of seven productions across five locations in Maryland and D.C.

“This season reflects a defining moment for Washington National Opera — one in which we are embracing new creative freedom, new spaces and new ways of connecting with our community,” WNO General Director Timothy O’Leary said in a statement. “We believe that the arts have always mattered deeply to civic life, and in this 250th year of our nation, we are proud to help tell stories that speak to who we are as a people.”

The season will conclude in Maryland with a revival of Verdi’s “La traviata” at the Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda next spring. Those final performances run April 29, April 30 and May 1, which is also the opera’s annual Opera Gala.

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The season begins in November with “Madama Butterfly,” “Nixon in China” and a special “We the People” concert featuring artists including Renée Fleming, all on on the opera’s new Revolutionary Stage with cafe-style seating on three sides at DAR Constitution Hall.

Other performances in D.C. include:

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Post-Kennedy Center, the Washington National Opera adapts at venues across Maryland

  • “Odyssey” at the Kreeger Theater of the Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater (December 18-20, 2026)
  • American Opera Initiative: WOLF | LAMBS at the Washington National Opera Studio (Jan. 15-16, 2027)
  • “O’Keeffe: Kiss the Sky” at Harman Hall at Shakespeare Theater Company (March 12, 14, 18, 21 and 26)
  • “Mozart’s Idomeneo: A Trojan Tale” at Harman Hall at Shakespeare Theater Company (March 20, 25 and 27)

Single tickets for all performances go on sale August 18; May 15 for subscriptions.