Mark-Anthony Turnage – Lee Hall
Festen
NOTHING WILL EVER BE THE SAME AGAIN
Wealthy hotel owner Helge gathers his friends and family to celebrate his 60th birthday. Among the guests are his wife and their three adult children: Christian, Michael, and Helene. On the night of the celebration, Christian delivers a speech that exposes a dark family secret. The revelation is unsettling, but even more so are the guests’ reactions to it.
Festen is a tragedy laced with black humour, a shattering experience. Its themes include violence passed down through generations, suicide, the sexual abuse of children, and racism.
Celebrated contemporary composer Mark-Anthony Turnage and librettist Lee Hall have collaborated with director Richard Jones to transform Thomas Vinterberg’s Oscar-winning 1998 cult film into a powerful opera, which premiered to critical acclaim at the Royal Opera House in London in February 2025.
Festen was awarded Best New Opera Production at the prestigious Olivier Awards in April 2025. It was also the winner of the World Premiere Award at Opera Awards in November 2025.
“Festen is nothing short of a masterpiece.” – Classical Music Daily
“A bold premiere of pulverising brilliance.” – The Telegraph
“This is verismo on steroids, an opera that entertains and makes you laugh and cry at the same time” – Bachtrack
“A modern opera I want to see again and again.” – Slipped Disk
watch video
Synopsis
The events take place in the summer of 1989, at a family-run hotel in the Danish countryside.
ACT I
SCENE I: ARRIVALS
At Helge and Else Klingefeldt’s hotel, friends, business associates and family gather to celebrate Helge’s 60th birthday. The guests herald Helge’s arrival with a Danish birthday song. Helge asks his eldest son, Christian, to say a few words about his recently deceased
sister, Linda, at the forthcoming dinner, Christian reassures Helge that he is prepared.
Read full synopsis
SCENE II: GETTING READY
Christian and Pia go to his room before dinner. Michael and Mette get ready in their room. In the bathroom where Linda died, Helena and Lars find a hidden letter.
ACT II
SCENE I: THE PARTY
At the dinner party, guests take their seats. Christian begins the evening’s toasts, but rather than honour his father, reveals shocking family secrets. More toasts are made by the family. Christian continues to make the guests confront the truth. Not believing him, Michael and others lock him in the wine cellar to silence him. Michael leads the guests in a song insulting Helena’s boyfriend, Gbatokai. Helena reads aloud the letter found in Linda’s room.
SCENE II
Helge hides in the kitchen. Michael finds him for a violent confrontation. Guests continue to party next door. Christian thinks about his dead sister.
ACT III
CODA: THE NEXT MORNING
Guests arrive for breakfast, greeting each other and Helge enters.
From the silver screen to the opera stage
gallery
creative team
- Music
- Mark-Anthony Turnage
- Libretto
- Lee Hall
- Ohjaaja
- Richard Jones
- Set design
- Miriam Buether
- Costume design
- Nicky Gillibrand
- Lighting design
- Lucy Carter
- Movement director
- Lucy Burge
- Conductor
- James Hendry
cast
tickets and performances
Festen features themes of child sexual abuse, suicide and addiction. There are depictions of racist behaviour, sex and violence.
If you have experienced violence in a close relationship, abuse, or racism, support is available through these channels:
-Nollalinja is a free, 24/7 helpline offering support every day of the year. You can reach them at 080 005 005 or visit nollalinja.fi.
-The crisis helpline of MIELI Mental Health Finland is available 24/7 at 09 2525 0111 (in Finnish only). Calls are anonymous and confidential. mieli.fi/tukea-ja-apua
secure your seat with a season ticket
The keys to an entertaining evening
The performance takes place on our Main Stage, which has no fewer than 1,300 seats in its auditorium. Please note that the 3rd balcony is very high up. It provides an impressive view, but the front-row seats on this level may not suit those with a fear of heights. Explore the Main Stage and find out more about where to sit. You can also compare the view from different parts of the auditorium.
Price categories: Seats in the auditorium are priced according to the view of the stage and divided into eight price categories (A–H). In addition to seat location, the price is affected by the performance date and demand. Only standard-priced tickets are available in the lowest price categories (F–H).
Discounts:
Discounts are available for selected productions, performances, and seats in the Stalls and the 1st and 2nd Balconies, unless otherwise indicated.
-Pensioners: €10 discount per ticket for selected seats in the Stalls and the 1st Balcony. The discount is available to all holders of the card for national pension recipients and anyone aged 65 or over.
-Students, military and non-military servicemen: 40% discount on the full ticket price.
-Children and those aged 20 and under: 40–50% discount on the full ticket price.
-Same-day tickets: A special rate of €30 per ticket is available for those aged 20 and under, students, military and non-military servicemen, the unemployed, and pensioners. The discount applies to seats in the Stalls, no earlier than 12 hours before the performance and subject to availability.
Please note that full-price and concessionary tickets for under-20s, students, and pensioners can be exchanged in our online store free of charge up to 24 hours before the performance. The value of the ticket(s) is credited to your customer account for later use.
Children and young people up to the age of 20 are eligible for a 40–50% discount on ticket prices.
Please note that children under the age of 5 are not admitted to Main Stage performances. The age recommendation for each production can be found at the top of its dedicated page.
For the best view, we recommend seats in the front Stalls or the centre of the 1st Balcony. If you’re unsure which seats would be most suitable, our customer service team will be happy to help you find the best options.
To ensure an enjoyable and memorable visit, see our Visiting with children page for more tips.
You can easily purchase accessible seats either through our online store or customer service. On the auditorium map, you can check the locations of accessible seats in the Main Stage auditorium (pdf). The accessible seats are marked with wheelchair icons to make choosing your seat easier.
Read more detailed instructions for purchasing accessible seats and ensure your visit is effortlessly enjoyable from start to finish.
The programme booklet provides background information about the production, its creators, and the story. It is published on the day of the premiere and can be purchased before the performance from the customer service desk in the Töölönlahti lobby, the sales desk at the Mannerheimintie entrance, all open counters of the Opera Restaurant, and selected members of our lobby staff. The price of the programme booklet is €7.
You can also buy the programme booklet in advance from our customer service desk or online via the Order refreshments page. See more detailed instructions here on how to purchase the programme booklet on the Order refreshments page.
The digital cast details for each opera and ballet, including the evening’s cast and creative team, are published online no later than on the day of the performance (please note that the link opens in a separate window). Cast details are also available on the displays and touch screens in the foyers, as well as under the My events tab in the mobile app.
Enhance your experience with refreshments. You can enjoy refreshments before the performance or during the interval. We recommend placing your order in advance, either through our online store or by calling our customer service. If tables are still available, online sales close no later than 24 hours before the performance.
Using the Opera&Ballet mobile app, you can order interval refreshments to a pick-up counter until shortly before the performance begins. Learn more about pick-up orders.
The Opera House is located by Töölönlahti bay. Our address is Helsinginkatu 58, which is well served by public transport.
The main entrance on the Mannerheimintie side usually opens 1.5 hours before the start of a Main Stage performance. Please make sure you arrive in good time, at least 15 minutes before the performance begins. Latecomers are only admitted after the interval so as not to disturb the performance.
How to dress for the performance? Can I wear perfume? Do I need to pay for the cloakroom? Find answers to these questions and more on our Tips for visitors page. We have put together a comprehensive guide to help make your visit to the Opera House a success.