The 'Days' come under the umbrella of the European Opera Forum's celebration of opera, an event organized by Opera Europa, the Association of Opera Companies and Festivals, in honor of the 400th anniversary of the premiere of Monteverdi's opera Orfeo, the work that is 'officially' taken as marking the start of the history of the genre. 

On 16, 17 and 18 February, the days of the Festival, 95 of the world's opera companies will be inviting audiences to see their most ground-breaking productions. At the core-event of the Forum, to be hosted at the Paris Opera Bastille, audiences will be offered a varied theatre program and there will also be a conference of professionals at which the future of opera is to be discussed.

The Bolshoi Theatre, one of the six Russian Opera Companies which are members of Opera Europa, has dedicated to this celebration of Opera, its sensational new production of Eugene Onegin, conducted by Alexander Vedernikov and directed by Dmitri Tcherniakov.