Atlanta is getting a beautiful reminder that music can bring people together, even in the most unlikely places. The Atlanta Opera opens its 2026-27 season with Silent Night, the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera by composer Kevin Puts and librettist Mark Campbell, running November 7-15, 2026, at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.
Based on the film Joyeux Noël, Silent Night tells the true story of the spontaneous Christmas truce of 1914, when French, British and German soldiers laid down their weapons on Christmas Eve, gathered around a makeshift tree, sang carols together and even played soccer. It is a moving celebration of shared humanity, kindness and the lasting light that a single peaceful night can cast.
The Atlanta production is directed by Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun, who previously staged this co-production at Ireland’s Wexford Festival Opera to critical acclaim, winning the Audience Choice Award and Best Opera Award at the Irish Times Theatre Awards. Principal Conductor Iván López Reynoso conducts. The opera itself won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2012 and has become one of the most beloved contemporary operas in the world.
For Atlanta audiences, it is a perfect way to begin the holiday season a little early: a grand, heartfelt night at the opera, filled with carols, snow and hope. Happy City News recommends booking ahead, as this acclaimed co-production of The Atlanta Opera, Florida Grand Opera and Opera Carolina is expected to draw opera lovers from across the Southeast.
Photo: The Atlanta Opera
