“A destination affair during Halloween weekend in Jersey City”
— Gothamist
“One of Jersey City’s most anticipated events”
— Jersey City Times
“An Amazing Spectacle”
— City of Jersey City (via Facebook)

October 25, 2025

you’re invited to the
6th Annual Zombie Opera

from
pandemic
to Endemic

The Zombie Opera is never going to die!

A 2020 pop-up performance is now a yearly staple, and Jersey City’s favorite extra day of Halloween. Entering its sixth year, our labor-of-love show has grown to a spectacular scale.

A look back at the 2024 Zombie Opera in Jersey City, NJ.

The First Zombie Opera

October 31, 2020

A humble Halloween celebration during the Covid-19 pandemic meant to provide free and socially-distanced entertainment to residents. Performances were split across two stoops on opposite sides of Jersey Avenue between 6th and 7th St.

  • Attendees : 1000 people

  • Singers : 5 opera singers

  • Crew : 3 (1 director, 1 makeup artist, 1 production designer)

  • Essential Volunteers : 7

Technical Details

  • Music : 2 speakers playing backing tracks

  • Set & Lights : 4 strings of lights, 2 clips lights, foam gravestones

  • Costumes : singers provided their own

October 26, 2024

The Fifth Zombie Opera

Now a full-scale spectacle built around the gazebo in Hamilton Park, the fifth year of the show is 900% larger than the first. (We did the math but we will not show our work.)

  • Attendees : 4000+ people

  • Singers : 7 opera singers supported by a 17-member chorus, plus an opening act band with 8 members

  • Dancers : 19 dancers, 2 choreographers

  • Crew : 33 (including 1 director, 1 art director, 5 hair and makeup artists, 1 set painter, 1 sewing assistant, 3 videographers, 2 photographers, 3 production coordinators, 3 graphic designers, 7 technicians, 1 lighting designer, 1 sound designer)

  • Essential Volunteers : 10

Technical Details

  • Music : a 24 speaker sound system for an orchestra of 17 players and 1 conductor, with 1 DJ for before and after the show

  • Video : A BRAND NEW FEATURE FOR 2024 AND BEYOND - Two 16ft LED video walls

  • Lights : a 24ft truss system rigged with 20 LED lights

  • Set : one 9x20ft flying saucer with working sliding door, 1 8x10ft painted backdrop, 7 “mountains”

  • Costumes : 7 custom costumes, 100+ props

  • Photo Booth : large enough to fit a family of 4

  • Merchandise : 140 t-shirts sold (and counting!)

Outdoor nighttime performance with musicians and actors in costumes, including aliens, on stage.
A performance scene on a brick building's balcony with a woman in a red dress, wearing Halloween-style face paint, standing next to a microphone stand, with a man in the background. Another person is on the balcony with decorations resembling gravestones and metal railing.

year one : 2020

year five : 2024

some things may have changed…

…but one thing remains the same:

We are committed to

keeping the Zombie Opera
a free & Accessible event

For the lifetime of the show

An artist painting a colorful scene outdoors in a park with an audience in the background.
Large crowd gathered in a park with colorful autumn foliage, people sitting on blankets and folding chairs, some in costumes or face paint, likely attending an outdoor event or festival.

and it’s all because of
our community

You start putting out your picnic blankets and chairs at 7am and come back later in a costume. You know when the show will be before we even announce it. (The Saturday before Halloween, of course!) We see your love! And the feeling is mutual.

We love you, Jersey City.

It’s why we’re committed to returning year-after-year with a bigger and better show for the community we love and the community who loves the Zombie Opera.

And we’re especially committed to keeping the show free forever and accessible to all, ‘til death do us part.

A large group of people gathered in a park sitting on blankets and folding chairs, surrounded by autumn trees. Some people are wearing Halloween costumes, signifying a festive or community event.
Woman with glitter in hair and face paint smiling, holding a Yeti can cooler, talking to a child with a green hair tie.
People in face paint watching an outdoor event, sitting on chairs and blankets, with some attendees dressed in costumes.

THE ZOMBIE OPERA
IS MADE POSSIBLE BY:

The Zombie Opera is a free yearly event made possible through a number of grants and contributions. A breakdown of 2024's contributions is pictured above.

Year after year, the Zombie Opera is made possible through a combination of grants, business sponsorships, individual donations and day-of merchandise sales and vendor fees. We exist thanks to the generosity and continued support of our Jersey City community. And every single contribution makes a difference.

Performers in colorful costumes and props on stage with microphones, featuring a large screen in the background displaying the live event.
Orchestra performing outdoors with costumed performers on stage and large screen display.
A performer in makeup and costume on an outdoor stage at night, with a large screen displaying a close-up image of them in similar attire. Several microphones and a street lamp are visible in the background.
LED screen displaying a poster for the 'Zombie Opera From Outer Space' event. The image shows two people in futuristic costumes with the event name and sponsors listed below.

Thanks to the generosity of last year’s sponsors, the Zombie Opera was able to add two 16 foot video walls to the production, ensuring the whole crowd of over 4,000 attendees could see every detail of the show.

Our 2024 Sponsors

platinum

Corcoran Sawyer Smith logo with a gradient line below the name.
"#Healthierjc" text in red font

GOLD

Team Francesco logo and Christie's International Real Estate Group logo side by side.
Silverman logo with the tagline "Building Neighborhoods"

SIlver

Logo of Mathews Food & Drink in cursive script
"White Star" logo with stylized text and a star symbol above the 'i'. Colors include white, purple, and yellow accents.
Logo for Sage Veterinary Center featuring green leaves and text.

Community & small business partners

Silhouette of a rugby player running with a ball
Logo of Hamilton Park Neighborhood Association with red and green text and a small green leaf on the letter "i" in "Hamilton."
NJCU New Jersey City University logo, green text on white background.
Circular text "HAIR IS HAPPINESS" with bold black font on a white background.
Silhouette of a geometric animal head, resembling a wolf or dog, with sharp angles and lines.
"North River Sing" logo with red stars and letters, and bulb accents on "SING."

It truly takes a village to make this show possible.
And every contribution, big or small, makes a difference.

Highlights from 2024

///

Highlights from 2024 ///

A person in a theatrical costume performs on stage with a sci-fi themed backdrop, featuring a cracked spaceship wall and abstract patterns. The performer wears a futuristic outfit with a cape and goggles, holding a prop that resembles a weapon or too
Person in costume with pointy ears and face paint, holding a futuristic toy gun, wearing decorative armor and accessories with an intense expression.
Performer in futuristic costume with metallic face paint and purple wig on stage
A person in theatrical makeup and costume performs on stage, wearing a distressed outfit with props attached. The background features a large, illuminated circular element with shadows.
Two people in theatrical costumes performing on stage, one with a bald head and beard, wearing a metallic outfit, and the other with pink hair and makeup, adorned with metallic accessories, looking dramatic.
Group of people in vibrant costumes performing on stage with colorful lighting, some wearing yellow outfits with insect-like accessories and others in silver outfits, holding folders.
Orchestra performing outdoors at night with musicians playing violins and double bass, while a group in colorful costumes stands on stage. A large screen displays the event in the background.
Group of performers on stage in themed costumes, with a backdrop featuring celestial motifs. Some are dressed in blue with hands raised, one in a silver outfit.
Person conducting an outdoor orchestra, wearing makeup to imitate facial injuries, surrounded by musicians and spectators.
Band performing on stage in space-themed costumes, featuring a backdrop of planets and a cracked spaceship. Musicians include a keyboardist, guitarists, vocalists, and a drummer in silver outfits.
People dressed in yellow outfits with green face paint and antenna headbands, resembling aliens.
Costumed performers on stage at night, one in a white outfit with LEDs, and others in yellow outfits with goggles and antennae, with a large screen displaying their image.
Artist painting a night scene of a stage performance with bright colors, depicting performers in front of a large clock structure, outdoors.
Outdoor musical performance at night with orchestra and choir in colorful costumes on stage.
Performer wearing futuristic costume with a metallic silver top and pink details, holding a metal bowl on stage in front of a spaceship-themed backdrop.

Highlights from 2024

///

Highlights from 2024 ///

The Merch Store

You love the show. Now show it off.

Zombie Opera: Outer Space T-Shirt (Year Five) Zombie Opera: Outer Space T-Shirt (Year Five) Zombie Opera: Outer Space T-Shirt (Year Five) Zombie Opera: Outer Space T-Shirt (Year Five) Zombie Opera: Outer Space T-Shirt (Year Five) Zombie Opera: Outer Space T-Shirt (Year Five)
Zombie Opera: Outer Space T-Shirt (Year Five)
$20.00
Zombie Opera: 80s Prom T-Shirt (Year Four) Zombie Opera: 80s Prom T-Shirt (Year Four) Zombie Opera: 80s Prom T-Shirt (Year Four) Zombie Opera: 80s Prom T-Shirt (Year Four) Zombie Opera: 80s Prom T-Shirt (Year Four) Zombie Opera: 80s Prom T-Shirt (Year Four)
Zombie Opera: 80s Prom T-Shirt (Year Four)
$20.00
Zombie Opera: Circus T-Shirt (Year Three) Zombie Opera: Circus T-Shirt (Year Three) Zombie Opera: Circus T-Shirt (Year Three) Zombie Opera: Circus T-Shirt (Year Three) Zombie Opera: Circus T-Shirt (Year Three) Zombie Opera: Circus T-Shirt (Year Three)
Zombie Opera: Circus T-Shirt (Year Three)
$20.00
Performers in colorful costumes posing on stage, resembling characters from a theatrical or musical performance. The group is dressed in futuristic and eclectic outfits, with bold makeup and exaggerated expressions.

Do Open. Dead Inside. volume 1 will be released in late March 2025.