Richard Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman brought the 2026 Birgit Nilsson Festival to a triumphant close on Saturday evening, August 8, before an enthusiastic audience of more than 3,000 at the Tennis Stadium in Båstad.

During the final applause, the large stage screens revealed the opera for next year’s festival: Giacomo Puccini’s magnificent Turandot will be the centre piece of the 2027 Birgit Nilsson Festival. The announcement was met with cheers in the stadium.

The demanding title role will be performed by Sweden’s new international star, Christina Nilsson, accompanied by the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra and choirs from across Skåne, under the baton of Pier Giorgio Morandi.

Turandot was one of Birgit Nilsson’s most celebrated signature roles, making Puccini’s opera a particularly fitting choice for the festival that bears her name.