(Credit: Kungliga Operan/Markus Gårder)

The Royal Swedish Opera has announced that it will extend closure until at least March 26, 2021, due to the current COVID-19 infection control situation.

If the epidemiological situation allows, the opera house will reopen its doors for the premiere of Richard Strauss’ opera “Ariadne auf Naxos” on March 27. The cast for the opera includes Christina Nilsson as Ariadne, Daniel Johansson as Bacchus, Sofie Asplund as Zerbinetta and Johanna Rudström as Der Komponist.

“If we can not welcome the audience in the house, we will stream the premiere on our digital channel operanplay.se. Despite the fact that the house is closed to the public, we want to give the audience the opportunity to see both new and already recorded productions digitally,” said Birgitta Svendén, CEO and opera director. “Everything we do in the opera house is COVID-19 adapted, and based on the recommendations from the Swedish Public Health Agency. If we can fulfill our plans to open the doors already this spring, it looks like it will be for a limited number of visitors,” added Svendén.

Sweden is undergoing an ongoing COVID-19 epidemiological crisis, with new daily cases surging to 4,702 on Jan. 20, 2021.