Free Opera

Free Opera? It sounds like an oxymoron, but that's what's on offer from Opera Ireland and Temple Bar Cultural Trust on Sat 28 Feb, the opening night of Opera Ireland's Spring Season. Mind you, you'll have to brave the great outdoors and whatever inclement weather is thrown at you, but hey, it'll be worth it. While the great and the good are enjoying the comforts of the Gaiety Theatre and the delights of Mozart's Don Giovanni, you can hang out knacker-drinking with your mates before heading up to Meeting House Square for a simultaneous live broadcast @8pm - get there early to get a seat. 

This co-production with Opera Monte Carlo features the charismatic Austrian brothers Paul Armin and Peter Edelmann as the Don and his servant, with Irish soprano Cara O'Sullivan as Donna Anna. If outdoor opera isn't your thing, tickets for the Gaiety start at €25 (€10 for students). And if you book before 5.30 on Fri 27 Feb you can get 2 tickets for the price of one for Tuesday's (3 March) performance of Tchaikovsky's bloodthirsty Mazeppa, based on the Pushkin poem Poltava.