New National Theatre Opera “Peter Grimes” 2026, Tokyo, Japan

• November 23, 2026
  Event date:
• December 5, 2026
  Event end:

What to expect in 2026

New National Theatre Opera “Peter Grimes” 2026 brings Benjamin Britten’s powerful psychological opera to the Opera Palace at the New National Theatre, Tokyo from November 23 to December 5, 2026. The production is a new production for the New National Theatre’s 2026/2027 opera season and presents Britten’s 1945 masterpiece in English with Japanese and English surtitles. The complete performance is expected to last approximately three hours and 15 minutes including an interval.

Set in an English fishing village facing the North Sea in 1830, Peter Grimes follows a solitary fisherman whose apprentice dies at sea. Although Grimes maintains that the death was an accident, suspicion spreads through the village. When a second apprentice also dies, the pressure from the community intensifies and Grimes becomes increasingly isolated.

Britten’s opera examines the tension between the individual and the community, while also portraying poverty, social exclusion, prejudice, violence, hope and despair. The villagers effectively become a dramatic force of their own, with the New National Theatre Chorus playing a particularly important role in conveying the atmosphere of collective suspicion and escalating group pressure.

New production: The Tokyo staging is a new production for the New National Theatre’s 2026/2027 opera season.

International production team: The production was originally created for Teatro alla Scala in Milan, where it premiered in October 2023.

Robert Carsen direction: Carsen’s staging focuses on Peter Grimes’s inner emotional world and the increasingly violent behaviour of the surrounding community.

Kazushi Ono conducting: The New National Theatre’s Artistic Director of Opera conducts the production.

International cast: Brandon Jovanovich returns to the title role after appearing as Peter Grimes in the production’s La Scala premiere, alongside Sally Matthews and Jordan Shanahan.

Full-scale opera: The production brings together the New National Theatre Chorus and Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra for Britten’s demanding score.

The production also contains mature and potentially disturbing material. The official New National Theatre information specifically warns that the staging includes themes and depictions involving the death of a child, child cruelty and violence, as well as flashing lights directed toward the audience during Act III.

Event dates

The 2026 production runs for five performances between November 23 and December 5 at the Opera Palace.

November 23, 2026: 2:00 PM – Monday holiday, premiere

November 26, 2026: 2:00 PM – Thursday matinee

November 29, 2026: 2:00 PM – Sunday holiday performance

December 2, 2026: 2:00 PM – Wednesday matinee

December 5, 2026: 2:00 PM – Saturday performance

All five performances begin at 2:00 PM. The official schedule identifies November 23 as the premiere and November 29 as the holiday performance. The December 5 performance is also included in the New National Theatre’s special new-production programming.

The scheduled running time is approximately three hours and 15 minutes, including an interval. Visitors should therefore expect to remain at the theatre through the late afternoon.

The New National Theatre advises that late arrivals may not immediately be admitted into the auditorium. Audience members who arrive after the performance begins may have to wait until a suitable break or interval.

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Venue & performance locations

All five performances will take place at the Opera Palace of the New National Theatre, Tokyo.

Venue: New National Theatre, Tokyo – Opera Palace

Address: 1-1-1 Hon-machi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0071, Japan

Nearest station: Hatsudai Station, Keio New Line

The New National Theatre is directly connected to Hatsudai Station, making the venue particularly convenient for visitors staying in Shinjuku and western Tokyo. Hatsudai is one stop from Shinjuku on the Keio New Line.

The Opera Palace is the principal opera auditorium of the New National Theatre and was specifically designed for large-scale opera and ballet. The auditorium uses substantial oak finishes on the walls and ceiling, creating an acoustic environment suited to unamplified operatic voices.

There are no separate outdoor performance locations for Peter Grimes. The production is presented entirely inside the Opera Palace.

International visitors can follow the opera through English and Japanese surtitles while the singers perform in English.

Full programme

Peter Grimes is an opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten, with a libretto by Montagu Slater based on George Crabbe’s poem The Borough. It premiered at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London in 1945 and became one of Britten’s defining works.

The story is set in a fishing community on the east coast of England.

Act I: Peter Grimes faces an inquest following the death of his apprentice at sea. Although the Coroner does not formally find Grimes responsible, the villagers’ suspicion remains. Grimes wants to continue working and asks Ellen Orford, the local schoolmistress, to help him find another apprentice.

Act II: Grimes’s isolation becomes more pronounced as the villagers continue to scrutinise his behaviour. Ellen discovers troubling evidence concerning the treatment of the new apprentice, while tensions inside the community continue to rise.

Act III: The situation reaches its most destructive point as the village turns against Grimes. The search for the missing apprentice becomes a collective pursuit, and Captain Balstrode attempts to intervene. Grimes ultimately goes out to sea alone.

Britten’s score is closely connected with the sea and the changing emotional atmosphere of the village. The orchestral interludes evoke waves, storms and changing weather while also reflecting the psychological state of the characters.

The opera is performed in English with both Japanese and English surtitles.

Featured productions & performers

The 2026 production combines an internationally established creative team with leading singers from Japan and overseas.

Conductor – Kazushi Ono: Ono conducts the Tokyo performances. He is Artistic Director of Opera at the New National Theatre and is responsible for leading the orchestra and chorus through Britten’s complex score.

Director and lighting design – Robert Carsen: Carsen created the production for Teatro alla Scala. His staging concentrates on Grimes’s psychology and the increasingly threatening behaviour of the community.

Set and costume design – Gideon Davey: Davey creates the visual world of the fishing community, working closely with Carsen’s direction.

Lighting design – Peter Van Praet: Van Praet’s lighting forms an important part of the production’s dramatic atmosphere.

Video design – Will Duke: Video is incorporated into the staging to enhance the visual presentation.

Choreography – Rebecca Howell: Howell contributes movement and choreography to the production’s depiction of the village community.

Assistant director – Oliver Platt: Platt assists with the Tokyo staging.

Peter Grimes – Brandon Jovanovich: Jovanovich takes the title role. He also appeared as Grimes when this Carsen production premiered at Teatro alla Scala in 2023.

Ellen Orford – Sally Matthews: Matthews sings Ellen, the schoolteacher who has affection for Grimes and attempts to understand the man behind the village’s suspicions.

Captain Balstrode – Jordan Shanahan: Shanahan performs Balstrode, the captain who attempts to help Grimes as the situation becomes increasingly dangerous.

Auntie – Nicole Piccolomini: Piccolomini portrays the owner of the local inn and an important figure within the village community.

The additional cast includes Hitomi Watanabe, Sachie Konno, Shuhei Itoga, Teppei Kono, Junko Saito, Kota Murakami, Kenichi Yoshikawa and Hiroaki Otsuka. The New National Theatre Chorus and Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra complete the principal performing forces.

Shows & performances

The production’s central dramatic conflict comes from the relationship between Peter Grimes and the fishing village around him. Grimes is a difficult and isolated figure, and the death of his apprentice creates suspicion that quickly becomes collective hostility.

Ellen Orford represents one of the few people who attempts to maintain a personal relationship with Grimes rather than simply accepting the community’s judgement. Captain Balstrode also recognises the seriousness of the situation and attempts to prevent its worst consequences.

The villagers, however, become increasingly important as a collective character. Their gossip, suspicion and eventual pursuit create the psychological pressure at the heart of the opera.

Carsen’s production brings this group psychology to the forefront. The staging was praised around its 2023 La Scala premiere for emphasising Grimes’s instincts and the escalating violence of the group.

The sea is also central to the production. Britten’s orchestral writing creates recurring images of waves, storms and open water, linking the physical environment with the characters’ emotional states.

The New National Theatre Chorus has an unusually prominent dramatic role. Rather than functioning simply as background support for the soloists, the chorus represents the village itself and helps create the pressure surrounding the title character.

Performance schedule

The five performances follow the official New National Theatre schedule.

November 23: 2:00 PM – Premiere

November 26: 2:00 PM – Matinee

November 29: 2:00 PM – Holiday performance

December 2: 2:00 PM – Matinee

December 5: 2:00 PM – Final scheduled performance

The estimated running time is approximately three hours and 15 minutes including the interval.

All performances are afternoon presentations, so visitors can plan for the opera to occupy most of the afternoon. Because the running time is substantial, it is sensible to avoid scheduling another fixed activity immediately after the opera.

The November 23 performance is the premiere, while November 29 is classified as a holiday performance. The official schedule also identifies December 5 as part of the New Production Plus programme.

Ticket types

The New National Theatre has published five main seating categories for Peter Grimes, plus Z day tickets.

The following dollar figures are approximate conversions using an exchange rate of about ¥158.05 per US dollar. Actual card or ticket charges can vary with exchange rates and transaction fees.

S Seat: approximately $201.83

A Seat: approximately $167.04

B Seat: approximately $121.80

C Seat: approximately $76.56

D Seat: approximately $52.20

Z Seat: approximately $12.53

S through D are the standard reserved seating categories. Z seats are day-of-performance tickets with restricted views and are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

The theatre also offers certain concessions, including special arrangements for eligible younger audiences and students. Discount availability and eligibility should be confirmed directly with the New National Theatre Box Office.

Z seats are especially different from the regular seating categories. Online sales open at 10:00 AM on the day of the performance, and remaining Z seats may be sold at the Box Office later if availability remains.

Ticket release & booking

Ticket sales for Peter Grimes opened in stages during 2026.

New National Theatre member advance sales: July 25 to August 11, 2026

General public sales: August 15, 2026, from 10:00 AM

The official New National Theatre website currently lists the production as on sale.

Tickets can be purchased through the New National Theatre’s official ticketing system. The production is also listed through Ticket Pia, including the event page supplied for this listing.

The New National Theatre Box Office can provide information about seating, accessibility, concessions and other ticket questions.

Box Office: +81-3-5352-9999

Opening hours: 10:00 AM–6:00 PM

The theatre notes that telephone bookings are not accepted through its general English ticket page, so visitors should use the official online ticket system or contact the Box Office for the appropriate sales method.

VIP & premium seating

No separate VIP hospitality package, backstage pass or meet-and-greet has been announced for Peter Grimes.

The closest equivalent to premium seating is the standard S category in the Opera Palace.

S seats: Highest standard seating category.

A seats: Premium standard seating below S.

B seats: Mid-range reserved seating.

C seats: More economical reserved seating.

D seats: Lower-priced standard seating.

Z seats: Restricted-view day tickets available on the day of the performance.

The New National Theatre does not present this production as a festival-style event with VIP lounges or artist-access packages. The experience is centred on the Opera Palace auditorium and the production itself.

Event rules

The New National Theatre has published several specific conditions for Peter Grimes.

Age restriction: Preschool children are not permitted to enter. Every child above the preschool age must have an appropriate ticket.

Sensitive content: The production contains themes and depictions involving child death, child cruelty and violence.

Flashing lights: Strong flashing lights are used during Act III and may be directed toward the audience seating area.

Late admission: Visitors arriving after the opera has begun may have to wait until a suitable break or interval before entering.

Tickets: Tickets cannot normally be changed or refunded except when a performance is cancelled.

Cast changes: The theatre reserves the right to change cast members or programme details when circumstances require it.

D-seat limit: On the first day of ticket sales, D-seat purchases are limited to two tickets per person.

Visitors should also switch mobile phones to silent mode and avoid photography, recording and other activities that could disturb performers or other audience members.

How to get there

The New National Theatre is located in Hatsudai, Shibuya-ku, western central Tokyo.

By train: Hatsudai Station on the Keio New Line is directly connected to the New National Theatre. The station is only one stop from Shinjuku.

From Shinjuku: Take the Keio New Line to Hatsudai. Visitors should make sure they use the Keio New Line rather than the regular Keio Line, as the regular Keio Line does not stop at Hatsudai.

From Hatsudai Station: Follow the signs for the New National Theatre and use the Central Exit for the standard route. The Opera Palace can be reached through the main entrance.

By taxi: The theatre is next to the intersection of Yamate-dori and Koshu-kaido and is easily identifiable from the surrounding road network.

The theatre recommends the East Exit at Hatsudai for wheelchair users because this route provides elevator access and avoids the stairs on the standard Central Exit route.

Public transport & parking

Public transport is the most convenient option for most visitors.

Keio New Line: Hatsudai Station is directly connected to the theatre.

Keio Bus: Routes including Shibuya 61, Shibuya 63 and Shibuya 66 serve the New National Theatre and nearby Tokyo Opera City stops.

From Shinjuku: The theatre is one Keio New Line stop from Shinjuku.

Parking: The New National Theatre and Tokyo Opera City share an underground car park with approximately 860 spaces.

The car park operates from 7:00 AM to 11:30 PM. The standard published rate is approximately $1.90 per 30 minutes, based on the theatre’s ¥300 rate and an approximate exchange rate of ¥158.05 to $1.

Daily maximum: Approximately $12.65 based on the published ¥2,000 maximum.

NNTT spectators can receive a parking discount by presenting their parking ticket at the relevant theatre information counter. Vehicles taller than 2.1 metres cannot enter the underground car park. Dedicated accessible parking spaces are available near elevators.

Accommodation areas

Visitors travelling to Tokyo for Peter Grimes can choose accommodation in several well-connected districts.

Shinjuku: Shinjuku is particularly convenient because Hatsudai is only one station away. It also provides a large selection of hotels, restaurants and transport connections.

Hatsudai: Staying close to the theatre allows visitors to reach the Opera Palace quickly and avoid a long journey after the three-hour-plus performance.

Yoyogi: Yoyogi offers access to Shinjuku and Shibuya while providing a quieter alternative to the busiest parts of central Tokyo.

Shibuya: Shibuya is useful for visitors who want extensive shopping, restaurants and nightlife in addition to easy access to Hatsudai.

Shinjuku West: Hotels around the western side of Shinjuku can be especially practical for evening or afternoon theatre visits.

Visitors attending the November 23 premiere or December 5 finale may want to stay close to Shinjuku or Hatsudai so that transport is simple before and after the performance.

Dining & refreshments

The New National Theatre provides food and drink facilities within the theatre complex. Its visitor information highlights dining options and refreshments, while the wider Tokyo Opera City complex also provides restaurants and cafés.

Because Peter Grimes lasts approximately three hours and 15 minutes including an interval, eating before the performance can be convenient, particularly for the afternoon performances.

Before the opera: Visitors can have lunch around Hatsudai or use restaurants within the Tokyo Opera City complex.

At the theatre: Refreshment facilities are available, and the theatre also offers production-related food and drink options.

After the opera: Shinjuku is only one train stop away and provides extensive choices for dinner and evening activities.

The theatre’s third-floor dining facilities are also highlighted in the New National Theatre’s international visitor information.

Visitors should follow the theatre’s instructions regarding food and beverages inside the auditorium.

Accessibility

The New National Theatre, Tokyo provides barrier-free facilities throughout the building, including slopes, steplifts and elevators for visitors with mobility requirements.

Wheelchair seating: All three theatres at the New National Theatre provide wheelchair spaces for public performances.

Wheelchair discounts: Special discounted wheelchair tickets are available for performances presented by the New National Theatre, with one accompanying helper admitted free of charge. Visitors should contact the Box Office for details.

Accessible station route: Wheelchair users should use Hatsudai Station’s East Exit, where an elevator provides a step-free route toward the theatre.

Accessible toilets: A wheelchair-friendly toilet is located near the Information Centre on the fifth floor.

Hearing and visual assistance: Usher services are available for guests with visual or hearing impairments.

Additional assistance: Theatre staff can assist elderly visitors, wheelchair users and visitors with service dogs.

Because Peter Grimes includes flashing lights in Act III, visitors who are sensitive to strong or flashing lighting should consider this production information before attending.

Best performances to attend

All five performances feature the same production and principal cast, so the most suitable date depends primarily on schedule and personal preference.

November 23: The premiere performance marks the first Tokyo presentation of this new production. It is the opening performance and offers the earliest opportunity to see the staging.

November 26: The Thursday matinee provides a weekday option and may suit visitors with flexible daytime schedules.

November 29: The Sunday performance is a holiday presentation and offers a convenient weekend option for visitors combining the opera with Tokyo sightseeing.

December 2: The Wednesday matinee provides another weekday opportunity.

December 5: The Saturday performance is the final scheduled performance and can be convenient for visitors planning a weekend theatre trip.

All performances begin at 2:00 PM and run for approximately three hours and 15 minutes including an interval.

Previous year’s highlights

There was no 2025 New National Theatre staging of this particular production because Peter Grimes is being introduced as a new production for the 2026/2027 season. The most important previous presentation of the current staging was its premiere at Teatro alla Scala in Milan in October 2023.

2023 La Scala premiere: Robert Carsen’s production was first presented at Teatro alla Scala.

International production: The Milan production forms the basis of the staging now being brought to Tokyo.

Brandon Jovanovich: Jovanovich performed Peter Grimes in the original Milan production and returns to the title role in Tokyo.

Robert Carsen: The director’s approach focuses strongly on Grimes’s internal psychology and the escalating violence of collective behaviour.

Tokyo new production: The New National Theatre is presenting the work as one of its three new opera productions for the 2026/2027 season, alongside Rossini’s Il Turco in Italia and Verdi’s Macbeth.

The New National Theatre’s 2026/2027 opera season therefore places Peter Grimes within a wider programme of new productions rather than presenting it as a revival of an earlier NNTT staging.

Official tickets

Tickets for Peter Grimes are available through the official New National Theatre ticketing system and authorised Japanese ticket services.

New National Theatre: The official production page provides the performance schedule, cast, creative team, seating information, ticket prices and visitor guidance.

Ticket Pia: The supplied Ticket Pia listing provides another official ticketing route for the Tokyo performances.

Box Office: The New National Theatre Box Office can be contacted at +81-3-5352-9999 from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

The theatre currently lists the production as on sale, with general booking having opened on August 15, 2026. Visitors should check the official listing for remaining seats and any subsequent changes to cast or programme.

The official New National Theatre website should also be consulted before attending because the theatre states that cast or programme changes may occur depending on circumstances.

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