The Helsinki Contemporary Opera Festival, organized for the third time, will present a nuanced viewing of chamber opera and musical theatre works from 17 August to 3 September 2023 at the Alexander Theatre in Helsinki. The programme includes nine stage works that bring out the colorful range of styles of opera and experimental musical theater in the forms of world premieres and additional performances of previously premiered works.

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The artistic director of the Helsinki Contemporary Opera Festival is Reetta Ristimäki and the event is produced by Greta Productions. Each freelance group participating in the event is responsible for the production of their own performances. This year, the festival is attended by Greta Productions, KammarOperaKompaniet, KLAPS klassista lapsille ry, MorrowSound, Oopperayhdistys Operation! ry, Opera BOX, and four independent working groups.

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The goal of the festival is to cherish and highlight domestic chamber opera and musical theater by offering 

an opportunity for freelancers and professional groups to perform their works in Finland's old opera house. At the same time, the festival gives the audience the most interesting and current performances of the freelancing world 

- refreshing the image of opera in our culture. The goal is also to expand into an internationally important forum for musical theater and chamber opera. As a first step, the festival will include two Nordic co-productions Det här är ögonblicket and In transit.

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The Helsinki Contemporary Opera Festival was organized for the first time in 2021 from August 19 to September 5 at the Alexander Theatre. It still holds its place as Finland's largest festival presenting works and artists in the freelance opera field. 

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The festival's leading partner is the Alexander Theatre and the event is part of Helsinki Festival. Other partners are Music Finland, Theatre Info Finland, Theatre Centre, Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts, The Finnish Music Foundation, The Finnish Musicians’ Union, The Society of Finnish Composers and Fennica Gehrman.