Marking three decades of Opera Australia’s national touring program, the 2026 tour of Michael Gow’s much-loved production of Mozart’s darkly comedic masterpiece Don Giovanni, will open in South Australia this July, before heading around the country.
The 2026 National Tour will provide an invaluable opportunity for regional audiences to engage with opera of an international standard, continuing a tradition that has brought more than 720 performances to more than 330,000 people in 139 locations since 1996 when it was launched as OzOpera, later rebranded as Opera Australia’s Regional Tour in 2014 and now known as the National Tour.
“Touring to metropolitan, regional and remote locations is fundamental to Opera Australia’s mission, and South Australia has long played an important role in the company’s history,” said Opera Australia CEO Alex Budd.
“As we celebrate 30 years of our national tour in its current format, we’re proud to continue delivering world‑class opera to communities across the country. I’ve seen first‑hand the delight and enjoyment this program brings to audiences nationwide, and that connection remains at the heart of why this tour matters.”
Opening at the Barossa Arts Centre, the production will then travel to Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. Having last toured in 2013, the revival of this dynamic production of Don Giovanni, combining the creative minds of director Michael Gow, set and costume designer Robert Kemp, and lighting designer Matthew Scott, marks a welcome return to the stage for one of the country’s most respected storytellers.
After his highly praised work on previous OA tours, conductor Simon Bruckard will lead a cast of brilliant singers and musicians including Christian Haotian Qi and Andrew Williams who share the role of Don Giovanni alongside Celeste Lazarenko and Jessica Blunt as Donna Anna. Kiran Rajasingam and Stephen Marsh play Leporello, Tomas Dalton and Shanul Sharma as Don Ottavio and Cathy-Di Zhang and Jane Magão as Zerlina.
Mozart’s Don Giovanni is opera at its most explosive: part comedy, part thriller, part supernatural reckoning. Known as opera’s Casanova, Don Giovanni is a notorious libertine whose seductions, schemes and violent impulses finally catch up with him. It’s the last day of his life, though he has no idea his descent into hell is already well underway.
Tasmanian audiences can also attend a one night only celebration of A Night with Opera Australia – a special showcase performance of arias and ensemble pieces from the operatic canon, including highlights from Don Giovanni, to be staged on Tuesday 25 August at Albert Hall in Launceston.
The National Tour of Don Giovanni is supported by the Opera Conference, Australia’s national partnership of professional opera companies, the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its arts investment and advisory body, by the NSW Government through Create NSW, and by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria.
The National Tour of Don Giovanni opens at South Australia’s Barossa Arts Centre on 17 July 2026 and will then travel to Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. For more information, including performance dates and venues, visit: www.opera.org.au for details.
Image: Opera Australia presents Don Giovanni – photo by Daniel Boud