English Touring Opera

Who we are

ETO is an Olivier Award-winning opera company with a mission to bring world-class opera to local communities across England. Since 1979, ETO has toured outstanding live productions and impactful education and community projects to more towns and cities than any other UK opera company, reaching over 30,000 people per year. As an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, we tour exceptional and ambitious theatre-based productions across the country, performing rare, unjustly underperformed repertoire that is neglected by the rest of the sector. With an average ticket price of £26.81, we are committed to breaking down financial barriers to opera and challenging the perception that the artform is elitist. It is an exciting time for ETO, as we establish ourselves in our new base of operations in Sheffield as part of the ACE Transfer Programme.
ETO creates award-winning educational opera experiences as part of our Learning & Participation (L&P) Programme. We tour participatory opera across the country for infants, children, families, and Learning Disabled young people and we deliver creative workshops for young people in secondary schools and Alternative Provision settings. Through our multifaceted approach, we work carefully with participants to deliver activities that reflect their backgrounds, interests, and needs, alongside important issues such as climate change and mental health.