Opera Santa Barbara (OBS) will return to the outdoors with its “Opera in the Park” concert on Sunday, June 7, 2026, presented at Godric Grove in Elings Park in Santa Barbara.

The free outdoor concert, timed to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the United States, will feature music by Aaron Copland, Charles Ives, Jake Heggie, Leonard Bernstein, Victor Herbert, Ricky Ian Gordon, Matteo Neri, Colm Wilkinson, and Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II as performed by soprano Elizabeth Gallagher, mezzo-soprano Max Potter, tenor Felipe Prado, and baritone Matthew Peterson, accompanied on piano by program curator Catherine Miller.

“Whether you are a lifelong opera enthusiast or hearing this music for the first time, we invite the entire community to experience the beauty of live performance and song selections composed by Americans. These works are proof that opera, a European transplant, is not only thriving here, but has successfully cross-pollinated with our native music theater and produced an exciting and robust hybrid,” Artistic & General Director Kostis Protopapas said, per an official press release.

Guests are encouraged to arrive with blankets, hats, and picnic snacks to enjoy the relaxed, community-oriented atmosphere that has made Opera in the Park a beloved fixture on the company’s calendar.