(Credit: © Stade de France)

The performance of Bizet’s “Carmen” at the Stade de France scheduled for June 18, 2022 has been canceled.

The opera was initially scheduled for Sep. 19, 2020, but was postponed due to ongoing COVID-19 worries. The presentation was set to star Roberto Alagna as Don José, Aleksandra Kurzak as Micaëla, and Béatrice Uria-Monzon in the title role. Charles Roubaud was signed on as the director.

The Stade de France has a long history of big opera performances, including “Carmen” in 2003, “Nabucco” in 2008 and “Aïda” in 2010, among others.

The reasons for this cancellation were not specified by the organizers. However, it can be assumed that the uncertainty linked to the new pandemic waves and Omicron variant jeopardize the viability of such a project.

France is currently undergoing a new wave of COVID-19, with a fast-growing number of Omicron cases on a daily level.