Karagiozis as Rigoletto

Lead Donor of the GNO

The Greek National Opera joins the 61st Dimitria Festival, Thessaloniki's largest and most historic cultural event, scheduled for 1 to 26 October 2026. The GNO will present a diverse programme ranging from opera and melodrama to shadow puppet opera and a cine-opera pastiche at the Royal Theatre and the Ceremony Hall of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, offering audiences the opportunity to discover and enjoy rare works, new productions, and highly successful performances. The GNO’s participation in the 61st Dimitria Festival’s programme is part of a Framework Agreement between the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Thessaloniki institutions.

The successful shadow puppet opera Karagiozis as Rigoletto, written by versatile comedian, director and librettist Dimitris Dimopoulos and experienced shadow puppeteer Alexandros Melissinos, is coming to the 61st Dimitria Festival to offer knowledge and boundless laughter… in an alternative way!

The most famous and beloved hunchback jester in shadow puppet theatre, Karagiozis, is called upon to undertake an… operatic mission: to perform the most renowned hunchback in opera, Rigoletto! The production combines traditional shadow puppet theatre with excerpts from Giuseppe Verdi’s masterful opera Rigoletto, performed in Greek by three opera singers, while humorously revealing what’s going on behind the scenes of an opera house. Alexandros Melissinos brings the role of Karagiozis to life with vibrancy and originality, making this performance a fresh and interactive take on shadow puppet theatre. A performance for children and adults alike, promising to entertain and educate.