Royal Opera urged to drop Netrebko from Tosca

Pressure mounts on the Royal Opera as MPs and Ukrainian artists urge dropping Anna Netrebko over ties to Russia ahead of a September Tosca performance.

Royal Opera urged to drop Netrebko from Tosca

The Royal Opera House is under pressure as a cross-party group of MPs and more than 50 Ukrainian artists and writers sign a letter asking the company to drop Anna Netrebko from Tosca for the London performance in September. They describe her as a longtime symbol of cultural propaganda for a regime that is responsible for serious war crimes. Netrebko, world renowned, was frozen out of western opera houses after Russia's invasion when she declined to condemn President Putin. The invitation from a publicly funded company has sparked debate about cultural values, public funding, and how institutions respond to global events.

This case tests how publicly funded arts bodies balance artistic freedom with moral accountability. In a tense moment, culture becomes a platform where politics and diplomacy play out before audiences. If the Opera drops Netrebko, critics see it as a statement about values; if it keeps her, supporters argue art can be separate from politics and not be dictated by external pressure.

Highlights

The coming weeks will reveal how London uses culture to reflect its values.