ENGLISH NATIONAL OPERA’S ANGEL’S BONE BY DU YUN TO PREMIERE IN GREATER MANCHESTER & LONDON IN 2026
English National Opera (ENO) today announced that Du Yun’s Pulitzer Prize-winning opera Angel’s Bone will open at the London Coliseum in October, following its UK premiere in Greater Manchester in May, marking a bold expression of ENO’s dual-centre model. Angel’s Bone opens at Aviva Studios, Manchester, home of Factory International, on 12 May 2026 before arriving at the London Coliseum on 16 October 2026. ENO’s hugely successful Under 21s scheme continues, offering free opera tickets to all ENO performances at the London Coliseum and at partnering venues in Greater Manchester.
Angel's Bone 2026 © English National Opera
Angel’s Bone tells the story of Mr and Mrs X.E., a desperate couple longing for a better life who discover two wounded angels in their garden. They set out to nurse them back to health, but what begins as an act of apparent compassion quickly spirals into a disturbing portrait of greed and exploitation, and an unflinching take on human trafficking and modern-day slavery.
Composer, performance artist and activist Du Yun’s electrifying score fuses medieval polyphony, punk, electronics, chamber music and cabaret creating a unique and vital sonic world. With a libretto by playwright and filmmaker Royce Vavrek, Angel’s Bone was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2017 following its acclaimed world premiere in New York and is recognised as one of the most significant operatic works of the past decade.
Multi-award-winning theatre and opera director Kip Williams makes his UK opera debut. He is joined by Tony and Olivier Award-winning designer Marg Horwell, continuing their long-term creative collaboration, with recent shows including the current production of Dracula starring Cynthia Erivo at the Noel Coward Theatre, The Maids at Donmar Warehouse, and The Picture of Dorian Gray in the West End and on Broadway. Completing the creative team is Jack Knowles as Lighting Designer, Ash J Woodward as Video Designer, and Dominic Bilkey and Joseph Reiser as Co-Sound Designers. Internationally renowned conductor Baldur Brönniman, who trained at Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music and is deeply committed to making classical music relevant in the 21st century, leads the performances.
Annilese Miskimmon, Artistic Director, English National Opera, said:“Bringing Angel’s Bone to the UK for the first time, premiering in Greater Manchester before coming to London, signals a defining moment for English National Opera. Created across two places and powered by deep collaboration, this production connects exceptional artists and partners while opening our doors to broader audiences than ever before. “Realising work at this scale in two locations allows us to think differently about how opera is made and shared. It’s about far more than geography – it’s about generating new energy around opera, expanding opportunity and ensuring the artform remains a vital force within the national cultural landscape.”
Tickets for Greater Manchester are on sale now here: factoryinternational.org | eno.org
Tickets for London will go on sale in April.
To be the first to know when they are on sale, sign up here: www.eno.org/about/this-season/sign-up-for-angels-bone-updates/