(Photo Credit: © James Speakman)

English National Opera (ENO) and Salford-based outdoor arts company Walk the Plank will present the culminating performance of their large-scale community project “Perfect Pitch” on Saturday, June 6, 2026.

The showcase, set to take place as part of Salford’s We Invented the Weekend festival, will be staged at the BBC MediaCityUK Piazza Stage from 2:15 to 3:20 p.m. local time. Audiences will see a 400-strong community choir of football fans and singers from across Greater Manchester with ENO artists in a celebration of the unexpected connections between football and opera, timed just one week before the opening of the 2026 World Cup.

At the heart of the performance is “Nessun Dorma,” the iconic Puccini aria indelibly linked to the 1990 World Cup, performed by international tenor Luis Gomes and the Chorus of English National Opera. ENO soprano Alison Langer and ENO baritone and Harewood Artist Dan D-Souza will join the 400-strong Perfect Pitch choir in additional operatic selections.

The Chorus of ENO will make a theatrical entrance via Salford’s waterfront aboard the Princess Katherine. The event will also feature Greater Manchester-based women’s football teams, special guest appearances, and a prize-giving ceremony complete with a giant golden trophy, confetti, and visual effects.

“Perfect Pitch” began in January 2025 as a community project co-created by ENO and Walk the Plank, drawing participants from local community choirs and football supporter groups across Greater Manchester. The project has already reached audiences at a Bury FC football match and at Manchester Day.

“Perfect Pitch brings the energy of the football terraces together with the power of opera to create something truly unique and rooted in the communities of Greater Manchester,” said Lauren Monaghan-Pisano, Director of Strategy and Partnerships at ENO, per an official press release.

The performance is free and open to all ages as part of the We Invented the Weekend festival.