Best Dutch National Opera Podcasts (2025)

1
Babiš is back 56:48

Play Pause

1d ago56:48

56:48

It’s been a busy week for European politics, European protests, and European wallabies. In the midst of the madness, we caught up with Kateřina Šafaříková of Czech news outlet Seznam Zprávy, who filled us in on the Czech Republic’s recent parliamentary elections. Is the probable next Prime Minister, Andrej Babiš, likely to be an Orbán-esque thorn i…

1
Operetta Land 16:16

6d ago16:16

16:16

Operetta Land by Nationale Opera & BalletBy Nationale Opera & Ballet

1
Are we all trapped in a transatlantic Truman Show? 54:22

14d ago54:22

54:22

Can we talk about Trump’s culture war, Putin’s war on inclusivity, and just about everyone’s unwillingness to pay teachers fair wages—and giggle throughout? You better believe it. Nina Lamparski is back in the hosting chair, and strap in, listeners, because this week’s show is a *ride.* Our guest this week is the delightful and incisive political a…

1
Should we be worried about Russian drones in NATO’s skies? 51:04

20d ago51:04

51:04

There’s no denying it’s been a pretty dark week, but we’ve got a couple of bright spots for you. What could be a better job than dreaming up ways that Europe could be improved? That’s what this week’s guest, Johanna Fabrin, does each day at the Copenhagen think tank 21st Europe. Ahead of our miniseries Who Does It Best, Dominic sat down with Johann…

1
Romeo & Juliet 20:40

28d ago20:40

20:40

Romeo & Juliet by Nationale Opera & BalletBy Nationale Opera & Ballet

1
Terrible week for ABBA 49:10

27d ago49:10

49:10

The music industry is reeling due to what’s being called the 'largest intellectual property theft in history' — we’ll dig into the fight between Big Tech and the people who make the music. Meanwhile, Sweden’s new cultural canon has people fuming — not least because it leaves out ABBA. We’ll also hear from Der Spiegel’s Gunter Latsch about his chill…

1
Monument 22:36

1M ago22:36

22:36

Monument by Nationale Opera & BalletBy Nationale Opera & Ballet

1
Why is the EU not acting on Gaza? 49:35

1M ago49:35

49:35

This week, we’re dedicating the entire episode to Gaza. We have a lot of questions about the EU’s role in what’s happening there: Why is the EU not suspending trade with, or at the very least banning weapon sales to, Israel? Why is Israel being treated differently than the way Russia has been? And what will inaction mean for the credibility of the …

1
Tosca 24:40

1M ago24:40

24:40

Tosca by Nationale Opera & BalletBy Nationale Opera & Ballet

1
Three Rivers and a Sausage Fight 52:50

2M ago52:50

52:50

It’s our second week of “cucumber season” programming, and fair warning: we’re really leaning into the late-summer goofiness. This week, we go hard on German gastronomy, with a deep dive into Europe’s declining alcohol consumption and a recap of the utterly absurd row over the origins of Bratwurst. Because we don’t want you to think we’ve totally l…

1
Save the games! Preserve the bread! Guard your rabbits! 50:48

2M ago50:48

50:48

Welcome back! We’re easing back into the swing of things after our summer holidays with a bit of “cucumber season” fare. It’s our regularly scheduled programming, just a little bit…sillier. This week, we take a peek into the world’s first “sourdough library” with Karl De Smedt, head of the Puratos Sourdough Institute. Karl gives us a taste of his u…

1
Hungary's Pride ban goes up in smoke (and glitter) 55:50

3M ago55:50

55:50

This year’s Budapest Pride was banned in March under the Orbán government’s contentious “child protection” law. Demonstrators were threatened with hefty fines for participating, and the government said it would employ facial-recognition technology to identify and potentially prosecute those who turned out to take part at the march on 28 June. Did t…

1
Toxic chemicals, abortion rights, and a Nazi-era train law 1:12:52

4M ago1:12:52

1:12:52

Depending on where you are in Europe, your right to a safe abortion — and reproductive care in general — can vary dramatically. This week, we speak to pioneering abortion activist Rebecca Gomperts about why she's hopeful that we can fight back against these inequalities as well as crackdowns on abortion access in other parts of the world. We're als…

1
Could Europe switch off big tech's algorithms? 1:03:34

4M ago1:03:34

1:03:34

The EU supposedly has some of the world's toughest laws regulating big tech. So why does it still feel like Europeans are being sucked into increasingly polarised online communities, and manipulated during our elections? Can we do anything about it? This week's guest, the Irish internet campaigner Johnny Ryan, argues that a pretty radical solution …

1
Boris Godunov 16:59

4M ago16:59

16:59

Boris Godunov - De Nationale Opera by Nationale Opera & BalletBy Nationale Opera & Ballet

1
Other Dances 16:10

4M ago16:10

16:10

Other Dances - Het Nationale Ballet by Nationale Opera & BalletBy Nationale Opera & Ballet

1
Is real change coming to Serbia? 43:08

4M ago43:08

43:08

Serbia’s government has come under intense pressure since a deadly disaster at Novi Sad’s main railway station last November. Student-led protests have spiralled into a nation-wide resistance movement and for months, Serbians have been speaking out against corruption, a lack of accountability, and a culture of impunity in Aleksandar Vučić’s regime.…

1
Hungary's plight, kids' rights, and Spargelzeit 56:58

4M ago56:58

56:58

Asparagus, lesbian family rights and Viktor Orbán’s latest power plays: like all good meals, this podcast episode is perfectly balanced. German food writer Ursula Heinzelmann joins us to explain the ‘Spargelzeit’ phenomenon that sees foodies going nutty for asparagus at this time of year. We’re also taking a look at LGBTQ rights in Italy and unpack…

1
What the hell just happened in Romania (and at Eurovision)? 1:09:09

5M ago1:09:09

1:09:09

Romania, Poland, Portugal... and of course, most importantly of all (?), Eurovision. It's been a huge week of voting across Europe! This week we're mostly diving into Romania's election drama with Codruţa Simina, a journalist with an extremely helpful specialism in online misinformation and disinformation. We're also tackling the controversy over I…

1
Hoe Anansi de stories of the world bevrijdde 16:10

5M ago16:10

16:10

Hoe Anansi de stories of the world bevrijdde - De Nationale Opera & Het Nationale Ballet by Nationale Opera & BalletBy Nationale Opera & Ballet

1
Europe, an unfinished love story 17:52

5M ago17:52

17:52

This week, a not-so-classic 'girl meets boy' story. Başak Layic, storyteller extraordinaire, reflects on what the European Dream looks like from the outside. This story was recorded live at SPUI25 in Amsterdam as part of 'Europe Up For Grabs?', an event organised for Europe Day 2025 by DutchCulture and the European Cultural Foundation. You can watc…

1
Is a pregnant nun about to crash Poland's election? 1:12:58

5M ago1:12:58

1:12:58

In theory, the government's guy looks set to win Poland's presidential election, making life a hell of a lot easier for Donald Tusk as he attempts to undo eight years of destructive authoritarian rule under the previous rightwing populists. But might a pregnant nun swoop in and change everything at the last minute? For an explanation of this metaph…

1
How to make sense of Europe's place in the world right now 46:52

5M ago46:52

46:52

The world is in flux. What's Europe's place in it, exactly? This week, we're bringing you something different: a big, sprawling conversation with leading European historian Timothy Garton Ash. Can anything good come from Trumpism for this continent? What can be done to stop autocrats like Viktor Orbán from undermining the EU from the inside? And do…

1
Hungary's Pride crackdown, Ukrainian sleuths, and 158 barrels of poop 1:06:27

6M ago1:06:27

1:06:27

We've got a veritable smörgåsbord for you this week on The Europeans, from human rights in Hungary to the sorry tale of two Danish sustainability influencers whose eco-resort business went spectacularly wrong. We discuss why Viktor Orbán is concentrating so much effort on bullying the LGBTQI community at a time when Hungary has major problems to fi…

1
Die Frau ohne Schatten 24:22

6M ago24:22

24:22

Die Frau ohne Schatten - De Nationale Opera by Nationale Opera & BalletBy Nationale Opera & Ballet

1
Inside Europe: Exploring Grief 54:31

6M ago54:31

54:31

We're away this week, but you're in good company: our friends at Deutsche Welle (DW), Germany's international broadcaster, are here to fill in for us. On this special edition of DW's weekly podcast Inside Europe, the team takes a break from the news to explore grief as a lens for understanding global events. Author Sarah Jaffe joins host Kate Layco…

1
Tesla, Turkey, and unnecessary trash 56:46

6M ago56:46

56:46

We're taking the Schadenfreude approach to the chaos that Trump's tariffs have unleashed upon Europe (and the rest of the world). This week, our favourite Luxembourger Nina Lamparski joins Dominic to explain why sales of Elon Musk's Tesla cars have already plunged in Europe and could now fare even worse thanks to his best bud's trade policies. We'r…

1
Lady Macbeth 21:48

6M ago21:48

21:48

Lady Macbeth by Nationale Opera & BalletBy Nationale Opera & Ballet

1
Rockets, recipes and Le Pen(itentiary) 53:30

6M ago53:30

53:30

Marine Le Pen has been banned from running for the French presidency after this week's bombshell court ruling finding her guilty in a huge embezzlement case. But does she have any chance of a comeback? And could the far-right win the presidency without her? This week we're discussing the earthquake in French politics, as well as Europe's space ambi…

1
How would Europe's €800 billion defence plan actually work? 1:02:47

7M ago1:02:47

1:02:47

Europe is set to spend an eye-wateringly huge amount of money on building up its militaries over the next few years, after That Guy In The White House signalled he's no longer that interested in helping us defend ourselves against Russia. But where is all this money supposed to come from? And does it matter if some countries are more enthusiastic a…

1
Should Canada join the EU? 53:36

7M ago53:36

53:36

Europe and Canada have a lot in common, from their headaches over Donald Trump to a shared belief in welfare states. If Australia can be a part of Eurovision, is there anything stopping us from welcoming our Canadian friends into the EU?! This week we talk to Stanley Pignal, The Economist's semi-Canadian Brussels bureau chief, about what would be i…

1
Oum – A Son’s Quest for His Mother 13:14

7M ago13:14

13:14

Oum – A Son’s Quest for His Mother - De Nationale Opera by Nationale Opera & BalletBy Nationale Opera & Ballet

1
Codes - De Nationale Opera 13:52

7M ago13:52

13:52

Codes - De Nationale Opera by Nationale Opera & BalletBy Nationale Opera & Ballet

1
We Are The Lucky Ones - De Nationale Opera 13:45

7M ago13:45

13:45

We Are The Lucky Ones - De Nationale Opera by Nationale Opera & BalletBy Nationale Opera & Ballet

1
Putin's African antics, the death of Skype, and a Eurovision c-bomb 1:00:02

7M ago1:00:02

1:00:02

Thousands of kilometres from the devastating war it's been waging in Ukraine, Russia has involved itself in a swathe of other conflicts that attract much less attention: in Africa. Why? This week we speak to Beverly Ochieng, a self-described Wagner Group stalker, about what Russia is playing at. We're also talking about a foul-mouthed (?) Eurovisio…

1
Big news for The Europeans! 17:20

7M ago17:20

17:20

Producers Katz and Wojciech join Katy and Dominic to share a couple of nuggets of exciting news for The Europeans. You can find out all about our new partners at Euranet Plus, a network of radio stations across Europe, here. And you can read all about our crowdfunded mini-series 'Who Does It Best?' — and contribute, if you'd like! — here. Maja and …

1
Germany's elections: should we freak out or not? 45:17

8M ago45:17

45:17

Germany just staged one of Europe's most crucial elections this year. The results are simultaneously shocking and not-shocking: shocking because the far-right made huge gains; not shocking because they are likely to deliver a coalition between the country's two legacy mainstream parties. So, to what extent should we be freaking out right now? In th…

1
Euro-defence, euro-booze and euro-TV 1:07:17

8M ago1:07:17

1:07:17

This week, the great transatlantic break-up. How can we make sense of the seismic shift in Europe's relationship with the US since Trump took power? What does it mean for Ukraine, and Europe's ability to defend itself from Russia? As a palate-cleanser, we're also hearing all the secrets of the international TV trade. Why do people in so many countr…

1
Dark skies, cheap shopping and an EU laser show 51:40

8M ago51:40

51:40

Nocturnal tourism is supposedly one of the big travel trends of 2025, and from star-gazing to truffle-hunting, there are plenty of places in Europe to do it. But where is this craving for darkness coming from? This week we speak to Anna Levin, author of two beautiful books about the impact of artificial light on the world around us, about why Europ…

1
Idomeneo, re di Creta - De Nationale Opera 17:35

8M ago17:35

17:35

Idomeneo, re di Creta - De Nationale Opera by Nationale Opera & BalletBy Nationale Opera & Ballet

1
Butterflies and bullied protesters 56:17

8M ago56:17

56:17

Europe's rarest butterfly lives on the outskirts of a single town in North Macedonia. So why is it possible to find specimens of this incredibly endangered animal for sale online for 30 euros? This week we speak to Kiril Arsovski Przo, one of the scientists behind an investigation into this troubling legal loophole. We're also talking about the far…

1
The world needs more drag cows 47:29

9M ago47:29

47:29

In an otherwise miserable week, this podcast is delighted to bring you a joyful interview with a drag cow. At least, an interview with the person behind the cow: the Swiss artist, performer and animal rights activist Daniel Hellmann. We chat to Daniel about why he decided to channel his campaigning side into something so wonderfully silly. We're al…

1
Jewels - Het Nationale Ballet 26:34

9M ago26:34

26:34

Jewels - Het Nationale Ballet by Nationale Opera & BalletBy Nationale Opera & Ballet

1
Russia's gas games 50:31

9M ago50:31

50:31

There's been a weird loophole in the war in Ukraine up until now. Nearly three years after Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine was still being paid to transport Russian gas for sale to Europe, all while Moscow continued to kill its people. What does the end of this strange deal mean? This week we ring up energy expert Szymon Kardaś to ask how Put…

1
Die ersten Menschen - De Nationale Opera 17:21

9M ago17:21

17:21

Die ersten Menschen - De Nationale Opera by Nationale Opera & BalletBy Nationale Opera & Ballet

1
Democratic salami and boiling frogs 47:34

9M ago47:34

47:34

Between Elon Musk's meddling and Romania's election rollercoaster, the state of Europe's democracies feels a little scary at the start of 2025. This week we talk to Tom Theuns, author of a new book about Europe's failure to stop the slow slide towards autocracy so far and what we can do to fix it. Tom is a senior assistant professor of political th…

1
Die Fledermaus - De Nationale Opera 23:00

10M ago23:00

23:00

Die Fledermaus - De Nationale Opera | Nationale Opera & BalletBy Nationale Opera & Ballet

1
Cold water, warm hearts 58:59

10M ago58:59

58:59

As the winter chill sets in, throngs of Europeans are heading each week to the nearest pond, lake or coastline to dunk themselves voluntarily in freezing cold water. Cold swimming has centuries of history on this continent, but why do it? This week we're delving into the science of why it makes us feel good — but also why it helps so many people th…

1
The manosphere, the 'TikTok messiah', and 132 hamsters 54:28

10M ago54:28

54:28

We've got a heady mix of Romanian politics, online misogyny and animal-based chaos for you this week. Friend of the show Andrei Popoviciu joins us to explain why his dad and many other voters backed the TikTok-fuelled campaign of far-right Romanian presidential candidate Călin Georgescu. And we ring up three young people from Greece, Ireland and Li…

1
Has Donald Tusk fixed Poland? 57:22

11M ago57:22

57:22

It's been a year since Donald Tusk took power, filling liberals and progressives in Poland with hope as eight years of rightwing populist rule came to an end. But how much has Tusk's coalition really improved things? This week Dominika Lasota of Wschód, an increasingly influential force that has been holding Tusk's government to account, joins us t…