Santa Fe Opera

World-class summer opera in an open-sided theatre in the hills

A 2,128-seat open-air theatre in the hills 11 km north of the city, hosting one of the world's great summer opera festivals — early July to late August, five operas in rotation, sunset performances under desert skies. The architecture (rebuilt in 1998 by James Stewart Polshek) is unforgettable: a flared concrete roof, open sides, and a backdrop of the Jemez Mountains.

Pre-performance tailgating in the parking lot — proper picnics with china and candelabra — is half the experience. Bring layers; the sun sets at curtain-up and the desert cools fast. Tickets sell months ahead for the marquee productions.

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A story
The opera's open-sided theatre means audiences sometimes hear thunder rolling through the New Mexico hills during the second act. The 2011 production of *Faust* timed the storm scene to a real one rolling over the Jemez Mountains — it was a coincidence the cast never forgot.

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