The Local Government Board has approved an agreement with the Palau de les Arts to bring zarzuela to the neighbourhoods of Valencia throughout 2026, with a municipal contribution of €105,000 and six performances of Les Arts Volant.
The Local Government Board of Valencia has given the green light this Friday to a collaboration agreement with the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía to bring zarzuela to the city’s neighbourhoods over the course of 2026. The agreement includes a municipal contribution of €105,000 and the celebration of six performances of the itinerant programme Les Arts Volant.
The show that will headline this initiative is ‘Notes d’este estiu són, sarsueles en el camió’, a production conceived by tenor and stage director Enrique Viana based on compositions by maestro José Serrano, one of the most prominent names in Valencian lyricism. The proposal aims to bring this genre closer to spaces near to the public, in a bid to decentralise the cultural offering.
According to the city council, the collaboration aims to promote free creation and the representation of lyrical arts, expand access to cultural programming, and highlight Valencia’s lyrical-musical heritage. In this way, the City Council and the Palau de les Arts strengthen a shared line of work to bring this artistic manifestation to diverse audiences.
In addition to the planned performances, the programme will include educational and outreach activities linked to Les Arts Volant, as well as communication actions to raise awareness of the offering and enhance its reach among the population. The approval of the agreement also empowers the delegated councillor for Cultural Action, Heritage and Cultural Resources, José Luis Moreno, to formalise the agreement and carry out the resulting actions.
The project arrives at a time when Valencian institutions are seeking new ways to bring opera and zarzuela to audiences that traditionally do not access large theatres. The Les Arts Volant initiative, which has already developed similar experiences in other parts of the Comunitat Valenciana, is now adapting to the neighbourhoods of the capital.
For the residents of Valencia, this proposal offers the chance to enjoy a quality lyrical performance without the need to travel to the city centre, in spaces close to their homes. The choice of zarzuela, a genre with deep popular roots, reinforces the accessible nature of the initiative.
The agreement is part of a broader strategy by the City Council to promote culture in the districts, with particular attention to those with fewer artistic activities available. The collaboration with the Palau de les Arts, one of the city’s main cultural facilities, is another step in that direction.
The six planned performances will be distributed throughout 2026, although the city council has not yet specified the exact neighbourhoods or the precise schedule. Details of the programming, as well as complementary activities accompanying the performances, are expected to be announced in the coming months.
The show, which combines Serrano's music with Enrique Viana's dramaturgy, promises to be a close and participatory experience, designed for all audiences. Zarzuela, with its blend of music and theatre, presents itself as an ideal gateway for those approaching the performing arts for the first time.
The City Council emphasises that this collaboration aims not only to expand the cultural offering but also to generate links between the public and Valencian lyrical heritage. The figure of maestro José Serrano, author of well-known works such as ‘La canción del olvido’, is a reference of that tradition.
The approval of the agreement is the first administrative step to make this project a reality. From now on, work will be done to specify the venues, dates, and dissemination actions. The residents of Valencia will be able to follow information through the official channels of the City Council and the Palau de les Arts.
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