Madama Butterfly

Dnipro Opera bring Puccini's Madama Butterfly to the Belgrade Theatre on Monday 8 February 2027, with a live orchestra on stage. The Ukrainian National Opera are the ones behind it, and they're performing the whole thing in Italian, with English surtitles projected so you can follow the story as it goes.

If you're not familiar with the plot, Madama Butterfly is set in Japan at the turn of the twentieth century. It follows Cio-Cio-San, a young geisha who marries the American naval officer Pinkerton, turning her back on her family and traditions to do so. From there, her faith in love becomes a test of loyalty, courage and sacrifice, leading to one of opera's most moving conclusions. It's a heavy story, and the music carries a good deal of that weight.

That score is where the real draw is, and it's full of some of the most celebrated melodies in opera. You'll hear the aria 'One Fine Day' and the 'Love Duet', and the haunting 'Humming Chorus' that lingers long after it's finished. The Dnipro Opera production brings the story to life with magnificent costumes, atmospheric staging, international soloists and a live orchestra, so you're getting the full operatic experience rather than a recorded track.

The performance starts at 7:30pm and runs for about two hours and thirty minutes, including an interval. Tickets start from £20, which includes the booking fee. The Belgrade Theatre is on Belgrade Square, CV1 1GS, right in the heart of Coventry.