Performances are set to return to the Opera House on Thursday, Sept. 24, with Verdi’s ‘Simon Boccanegra.’
Sep 17, 2026
Updated 8:49 pm PT
The War Memorial Opera House on Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco.
The strike at San Francisco Opera, which resulted in five canceled performances and delayed the opening of the 2026–27 season, is set to come to an end.
The San Francisco Opera Orchestra and San Francisco Opera jointly announced Thursday evening that a tentative agreement on a four-year contract has been reached. Pending ratification of the contract, performances will resume at the opera house when Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra opens on Thursday, Sept. 24.
“We cannot wait to return to the pit,” said Gabe Young, the orchestra’s associate principal oboist and chair of the musicians’ negotiating committee, in a statement.
“We are heartened to have reached a tentative deal that provides a fair contract and stability for the members of the orchestra,” Young said, adding that “we want to thank the public and Opera patrons for their patience and support through what has been a challenging process for our musicians.”
Amartuvshin Enkhbat in the title role, Aleksey Bogdanov as Paolo, Gabriel Natal-Baez as Pietro and members of the San Francisco Opera Chorus in Verdi’s ‘Simon Boccanegra.’ (Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera)
The San Francisco Opera Orchestra, represented by American Federation of Musicians Local 6, had been on strike since Sept. 12, when the season opener of Simon Boccanegra was canceled just a half hour before curtain. In the days since, a picket line and impromptu performances have taken place intermittently on the Opera House steps.
Musicians also performed casually in Golden Gate Park on Sunday, Sept. 13, while technicians dismantled the stage for Opera in the Park, which was also canceled. San Francisco Opera also previously postponed its annual gala, originally set for Sept. 12, to Nov. 12.