Opera in the Strand returns to Strand Arcade on 1 May

In May it’s New Zealand Music Month and people will flood into midtown’s streets, lanes and public spaces, further cementing our place in the world as a UNESCO City of Music.

They will hear the diverse and unique sounds of Tāmaki Makaurau, as Auckland Council hosts a free public programme of music, supported by the city centre targeted rate.

The season opens with Opera in the Strand on Thursday 1 May at 6pm. After a successful debut in 2024, Opera in the Strand returns in all its glorious colour, costumery and melody.

Listen and watch highlights from the 2024 event here.

Totally free and with no tickets needed, people will simply walk up and hear New Zealand’s finest young opera singers in full voice. Curated by the New Zealand Opera School, the artists sing from the tiled arcade floor and high on the bridges above midtown’s historic Strand Arcade, built 125 years ago.

Councillor Desley Simpson is thrilled to see Opera in the Strand back by popular demand.

“As this exciting new neighbourhood takes shape around Te Waihorotiu Station, our teams are working hard to attract people back to midtown and support businesses impacted by construction, through events like this.

“Music is always in the mix and there’s nothing like opera, brought to one of our historic city centre jewels, to lift spirits,” she says.

Read the full story, with profiles of the opera singers and pianists performing in Strand Arcade on 1 May, at Our Auckland.