Opera in the Garden 2026

Opera in the Garden image showing people seated looking at a stage.

Bring a picnic, gather the generations, and don't miss this exceptional Northland event!

Opera in the Garden has become an unmissable summer tradition! Our multi-generational community choir voices rise into the open air, picnic rugs are spread on the grass, and umbrellas dot the grounds.

Music is shared across generations, with space for littlies to roam and adults to relax. It’s not just Opera, and it's not experienced in velvet seats, but under wide skies at the remarkable Tahamoana Farm outdoor event venue in Waipu Cove, which is in itself a remarkable experience.

This year marks Opera North’s 30-year anniversary, celebrating a journey that began in Joan and Richard Kennaway’s Glenbervie garden in 1996. Some of those original singers still grace our stage today, a reminder of how deeply this organisation is rooted in the Te Tai Tokerau community.

What began as something small and generous has evolved into an annual event that is now quite extraordinary.

Continuing Joan's mission of supporting young singers, our special guests, Sarah Mileham and Alfred Fonoti-Fuimaono, are two of the most compelling young voices in Aotearoa today.

Individually, they have each been winners or finalists at nearly every major aria competition across the motu, recognised for their musical intelligence, technical assurance and expressive performances.

Their journey as singers, and as a couple, carries the echo of Opera North’s own beginnings with Joan and Richard Kennaway: a reminder that music grows from our souls connection.

And yes, there will be fantastic food vendors on site, every sense will be satisfied on the day!

This year’s programme is inspired by our collective journey's. A reflection on who we are, where we began, the artists who have grown with us, and the stories that continue to unfold as Opera North evolves here in Te Tai Tokerau.

Whether you are a long-time opera lover or arriving for the first time, Opera in the Garden invites you to listen, to linger, and join the moment.