Arena di Verona Opera Festival
Opera under the stars in Verona's Roman amphitheatre
About Arena Opera Festival
The world's most famous opera festival
The Arena di Verona Opera Festival is the most important and longest-running open-air opera event on the planet. Born in 1913 with the production of Aida for the centenary of Giuseppe Verdi's birth, every summer it fills the 1st-century AD Roman amphitheatre—one of the most extraordinary monuments in Verona, in the heart of the Veneto region—with tens of thousands of spectators from all over the world. The 103rd edition, scheduled from June 12 to September 12, 2026, confirms the primacy of a festival capable of uniting great voices, spectacular directing, and the unrepeatable magic of listening to opera under a starry sky.
A monumental stage
The Arena, with its pink stone seating and over 13,000 seats, is a unique scenic instrument: the productions exploit the full width of the monument to build pyramids, temples, and imposing processions. Among the historic productions returning is Aida staged by Franco Zeffirelli, a symbol of the Arena's grandeur, and in 2026, Zeffirelli's Turandot celebrates one hundred years since the opera's first performance. Alongside traditional productions, new stagings—like Stefano Poda's visionary Aida and Nabucco—renew the festival's scenic language.
The great voices
The most famous names in the international opera scene take turns on the Arena stage: the 2026 lineup includes performers such as Anna Netrebko, Lisette Oropesa, Ludovic Tézier, Luca Salsi, Maria José Siri, and Yusif Eyvazov, conducted by prestigious maestros like Daniel Oren, Michele Spotti, and Andrea Battistoni. The festival is not just opera: it includes dance evenings with étoile Roberto Bolle, symphony concerts, and galas dedicated to great music.
Verona, city of love and music
Experiencing opera at the Arena also means discovering Verona, a UNESCO World Heritage city, the home of Romeo and Juliet, with its medieval squares, Castelvecchio, and the nearby Lake Garda. On the evening of the performance, the lighting of the traditional candles among the audience before the curtain rises is a ritual that alone is worth the trip.
Arena Opera Festival — edition 2026
The 103rd edition of the Arena di Verona Opera Festival runs from June 12 to September 12, 2026, with fifty evenings in total. The program combines major titles from the Verdi and Puccini repertoire with dance evenings and gala concerts, in a summer that also celebrates an important Puccini anniversary with Turandot.
Alongside the operas, the festival hosts the traditional special events that make it a social as well as musical occasion: Roberto Bolle's dance performance and Plácido Domingo's Spanish gala.
Programme Arena Opera Festival 2026
Operas in the program
- La Traviata (Verdi) — new production by Paul Curran, bringing the Moulin Rouge to the Arena for the first time. Conducted by Michele Spotti and Francesco Ivan Ciampa. From June 12 to September 12.
- Aida (Verdi) — the visionary "crystal" direction by Stefano Poda, conductor Daniel Oren. From June 19 to July 24.
- Nabucco (Verdi) — direction by Stefano Poda, conductors Michele Spotti and Sebastiano Rolli. From June 26 to September 9.
- La Bohème (Puccini) — direction by Alfonso Signorini, conductor Francesco Lanzillotta. From July 3 to July 25.
- Aida (Verdi) — the historic production by Franco Zeffirelli, conductor Francesco Ommassini, with Anna Netrebko. From July 30 to September 10.
- Turandot (Puccini) — the fairytale production by Franco Zeffirelli for the opera's centenary, conductor Andrea Battistoni, with Lisette Oropesa and Anna Pirozzi. From August 7 to September 11.
Concerts and gala evenings
- Roberto Bolle and Friends — grand dance evening with étoile Roberto Bolle, July 21, 2026 (backup July 22 in case of cancellation).
- Noche Española with Plácido Domingo — gala dedicated to Spanish music and culture (date to be confirmed).
- Carmina Burana by Carl Orff — concert on August 13, 2026, conductor James Conlon, with Erin Morley and Carlo Vistoli.
Full cast and dates, continuously updated, on arena.it.
Highlights Arena Opera Festival 2026
Prices Arena Opera Festival 2026
Practical information — Arena Opera Festival
How to get there
Verona is served by the Verona Porta Nuova railway station (Milan-Venice high-speed line), a few minutes' walk or bus ride from Piazza Bra. By car, take the Verona Sud or Verona Nord exit from the A4/A22 motorway; on performance evenings, using the park-and-ride facilities is recommended. Verona Villafranca Airport (Valerio Catullo) is about 10 km away.
Tickets
Tickets can be purchased on arena.it and at authorized points of sale, with prices ranging from unnumbered tiered seating to premium stalls. Booking well in advance is recommended for the most popular evenings.
Tips
For tiered seating, bringing a cushion is permitted (and appreciated); performances start late in the evening, after sunset. In case of bad weather, consult the Fondazione Arena's guidelines.
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Where does it take place — Arena Opera Festival
Arena di Verona
Piazza Bra 1, 37121 Verona