San Francisco Opera Announces Cancellation of Performances Through September 20 Due to Strike By San Francisco Opera Orchestra
Performances of Simon Boccanegra on September 16 and 19, and premiere of Mary, Queen of Scots on September 20 are Cancelled
Cancellation of performances through September 20.PDF
San Francisco, CA (September 15, 2026) — Additional performances through Sunday, September 20 were cancelled today due to the strike called by the San Francisco Opera Orchestra on September 12. Due to the impact of the ongoing strike on performance and rehearsal schedules, the Company has announced the cancellation of three upcoming performances: Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra on Wednesday, September 16; Simon Boccanegra on Saturday, September 19; and the opening performance of Thea Musgrave’s Mary, Queen of Scots on Sunday, September 20.
Patrons holding tickets for cancelled performances have the following options:
- The value of your tickets may be held on your account to purchase tickets for an upcoming performance in the 2026–27 Season.
- The value of your tickets may be donated.
- Request a full refund for the value of your performance tickets.
No immediate action is required. Ticketholders can visit sfopera.com/updates or call the San Francisco Opera Box Office at (415) 864-3330 to choose the most appropriate option.
San Francisco Opera General Director Matthew Shilvock said: “It is heartbreaking to have to cancel additional performances, but I remain very hopeful that we will get back to the stage soon. Both the Opera and the Orchestra are working hard to reach a deal, having spent two full days and evenings negotiating immediately following the strike. Everyone at the Opera is eager to get back to doing the thing we all love: producing sublime works of art for this incredible community. We remain committed to finding that deal that brings us all back together in collective art-making. I am deeply grateful to everyone involved—ticket holders, donors, Company members, guest artists and the community—for their patience as we work to resolve a new contract with our valued colleagues of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra.”
As previously announced, San Francisco Opera’s September 12 season-opening performance of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra and the free, annual Opera in the Park concert on September 13 were cancelled due to a strike called by the San Francisco Opera Orchestra on September 12. Earlier, the Company had announced a date change for Opera Ball, moving the opening night benefit gala from September 12 to November 12. No other cancellations or changes are announced at this time. San Francisco Opera understands the impact of these cancellations on our audiences and will communicate any additional changes as soon as they are known.
This is a very complex time for the arts, and the current negotiation between the Opera and its Orchestra is reflective of long-term economic realities being faced by companies all across the country. San Francisco Opera must adapt to new ways of working and new realities about how our seasons are defined and appreciates that this is making for a challenging labor negotiation.
While the Opera is seeing positive trends in audience and donor growth, the fundamental economics underlying the organization have been strained as expense growth has, over decades, outpaced revenue growth. This has led to the gradual reduction of seasons and volume of work, a reality faced by many arts organizations. Even with positive revenue trends, the growing economic strain has put an unsustainable drain on the Opera’s endowment to balance the budget and caused a structural deficit of $15M each year. San Francisco Opera has great respect for all of its employees, artists, and labor organizations and remains committed to reaching an agreement that recognizes the Orchestra’s extraordinary talents and aligns with these economic realities to strengthen the Opera for the future.
For more information about the economic context in which these negotiations are happening and the key issues under discussion, visit sfopera.com/economics.