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The Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb announced its new season that will be marked by significant jubilees, achievements and historical breakthroughs in the development of the national theatre. This year, the CNT in Zagreb will complete the construction of the new stage CNT2 in Božidar Adžija Street and celebrate the 130th anniversary of the main theatre building. The new stage CNT2 will open in November with a special artistic event titled Celebration of Art 2.0 symbolising the connection between the two stages, two epochs and one theatrical identity.
The famous Cabaret directed by Leo Mujić will be the first premiere on the new CNT2 stage, and will bring together all the three ensembles, Drama, Opera and Ballet. This work is special because it is far from the glamorous entertainment or a fairy-tale escape that musicals usually offer. With this joint project, the CNT2 will present itself as a venue open to encounters of artists and breakthroughs in the research of complex topics of our times. 

During the current calendar year under the patronage of the Government of the Republic of Croatia we are celebrating the 130th anniversary of the building of the CNT in Zagreb and we are approaching the completion of the construction of the new stage in Adžija Street, which means that in a symbolic manner we are connecting the two stages of our theatre. The completion of the construction of the so-longed new stage will mark a historical step for the CNT in Zagreb and the beginning of the coexistence of the two stages where Drama, Opera and Ballet artists will perform, supported by the technical and administrative staff. The CNT2 stage will open its doors in November with a program titled Celebration of Art 2.0 with which we shall reinterpret the historical opening of the building in 1895, adapted to new times and the new venue, in order to signify a connection between tradition and the new theatrical paradigm which the CNT2 venue holds.
The CNT2 will offer and additional possibility for artistic development for our ensembles and offer our visitors an even wider range and diversity of performances. The construction of the new stage, the improvement of material conditions for theatre employees, the realisation of a diverse repertoire for our spectators, an artistic progress of ensembles and the international positioning of our theatre, are a fulfilment of our set goals.
I wish to thank our loyal spectators who have been coming to our performances in great numbers due to which we achieved record sales of subscriptions and invite them for a joint enjoyment in art in the following season in which we shall have 14 premiere titles, said the general manager Iva Hraste Sočo.

The central event of the celebration of the 130th anniversary of the building will be on October 14, 2025, at 2 p.m. when a lavish monograph prepared by over twenty prominent authors – academics, theatrologists, musicologists and other experts, will be presented to the public and which will depict the rich history, meaning and the development of the theatre. In the evening of the same day there will be a festive performance and the awarding ceremony of the Tito Strozzi award.

The first drama premiere in the new season will be Budi uvijek kao zmaj (Always be like a Dragon) written by Espi Tomičić and directed by Olja Lozica. It will be followed by The Flags by Miroslav Krleža directed by Ivan Planinić and Handle with care, a cooperation with the Belgian theatre group Ontroerend Goed. Along the successful reruns, other premieres are planned,  such as the Agamemnon Trilogy 2.0 after Euripides, Aeschylus and Sofocles by Lada Kaštelan directed by Livija Pandur, Mary Stuart by Friedrich Schiller directed by Matija Ferlin,  An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde directed by Aleksandar Popovski and a coproduction with the Dubrovnik Summer Festival of Brawling in Chioggia by Carlo Goldoni, directed by Krešimir Dolenčić.
This season our large ensemble performances will dealing with family communities and with those that are predetermined and which we cannot choose and those which we can, we deal with times and characters that reflect are current neuroses, our polarisation, our broached souls which raise questions about what is worth living for, what should one believe in, fight for and die for. We deal with trust, both in the execution and in context and we celebrate pleasure, joy and the elation of a theatrical act – said Tena Štivičić, the director of the Drama.

Opera of the CNT in Zagreb will open the season with the premiere of Vincenzo Bellini's Norma under the music leadership of the Chief conductor Pier Giorgio Morandi: As the Chief Conductor of the Opera of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb it is my pleasure to present the new titles of the upcoming season 2025/2026. This year I shall open the new opera season with opera Norma by Vincenzo Bellini. It is a work that is widely regarded as a masterpiece in the full meaning of the word. This is a season that will expand the international presence of the Zagreb Opera, connecting tradition and contemporaneity, roving that opera is one of the most dynamic, powerful and inspirational artistic forms of today. In this light I congratulate the Opera Office for its achievements as well as the general manager and her appointment as the vice-president of Opera Europa which will additionally empower the ascent of the Opera of the CNT in Zagreb in the international context.

Along the new titles, Giuseppe Verdi's Aida, as a coproduction with Teatro Massimo in Palermo and Tannhäuser by Richard Wagner with the Slovenian National Theatre Maribor, we shall also stage Francis Poulenc's mono-opera The Human Voice and Gita and the Hidden World: A Tale of Sorrow and Love by Borna Erceg (a coproduction with Theatre Mala scena). We kept on our repertoire numerous titles from the previous seasons such as: The Bat, La Bohème, Nabucco, Rusalka, Werther, Judita and the imperative national works such as Nikola Šubić Zrinjski by Ivan noble Zajc and Ero the Joker and Stanac by Jakov Gotovac with which we shall mark the 130th birth anniversary.
Seasons 2025/2026 is abundant in great titles that confirm the maturity of our ensemble and an artistic consistency, said the director of the Opera Željka Barišić Pulig. With increasing production demands and the new stage CNT2, we have the opportunity to additionally strengthen our presence on the international level – participation in projects such as OperaVision. This way we are promoting Croatian opera works on the European stage and offering visibility to our young artists. We are proud that this season we shall once again have six Croatian operas on our repertoire: Ero the Joker, Nikola Šubić Zrinjski, Judita, Stanac, Lennon and Gita and the Hidden World. Along our Croatian singers, many prominent international soloists will appear in our productions and the stars of the season will definitely be Croatian soloists of international acclaim– Tomislav Mužek and Evelin Novak.

The ballet season along reruns from the previous seasons will bring new staging of classical ballet pearls: The Nutcracker choreographed by Rudolf Nureyev, The Sleeping Beauty choreographed by Paul Chalmer and Othello choreographed by Valentina Turcu. A special emphasis is put on the opening of the ballet season, precisely the premiere of The Nutcracker which represents the peak of production and artistic ballet repertoire.
Throughout the past three seasons, the Zagreb ballet ensemble has shown growth and exceptional readiness for the most complex and demanding ballet productions, said the director of Ballet Massimiliano Volpini. Nureyev's The Nutcracker presents the real grandeur of ballet art and sets high criteria not only for the dancers, but also for the entire theatrical production team. I am happy that we shall open the new season with this title with which we shall invite our spectators to join us on a journey through the most beautiful pages of world ballet literature.

The CNT in Zagreb will continue to actively participate in international networks such as ETC, FEDORA and Opera Europa in which the general manager Iva Hraste Sočo is the vice-president. The CNT in Zagreb will continue to participate in European projects that will enable the development of the theatre itself and enrich the scope of the visitors with new interpretations of drama works. Along guest performances in Croatian theatres and festivals our Drama, Opera and Ballet ensembles will appear on international stages.
At the very beginning of the season in September, our audience will be able to see a new edition of the Zagreb Opera Festival with guest performances of European partner theatres. The CNT successful production of Werther with maestro Pier Giorgio Morandi will open the festival.  
Accompanying programs will also enrich the upcoming season – we shall continue with the cycle of chamber concerts of the Opera of the CNT in Zagreb and with the Classics on Sundays of the Zagreb Philharmonic,  the interactive program Theatre Breakfast, a new platform for contemporary drama texts through Drama residencies, cooperation with the Festival of World Literature and the spectators will be able to visit exhibitions on  display at the Theatre Pop-up Museum.

Thanks to the record attendance rate in the previous year of more than 94 percent and 5600 subscribers, the CNT in Zagreb in the season 2024/2025 achieved the largest number of sold tickets in the last decade. The subscription registration for the upcoming season commences on June 16,2025 online and from September 1, 2025, at the Box Office. Reservation of existing subscriptions will be kept until September 15, 2025, and after that date all unpaid subscription seats will be put on free sale. The subscription registration ends on September 30, 2025.