Festival dei Due Mondi
Edition 2026 Classical Opera Sacred music

Festival dei Due Mondi

The great international festival of music, theatre, dance and art in Spoleto

Spoleto — Perugia (054) Since 1958
Dates 26 Jun — 12 Jul 2026
Location Spoleto (054)
Prices —
Status Confirmed

About Festival di Spoleto

For seventeen days straddling June and July, Spoleto becomes the Italian capital of live performance. Founded in 1958 by Gian Carlo Menotti to build a bridge between the Old and New Worlds, the Festival dei Due Mondi intertwines opera, symphonic music, dance, theatre and visual arts in the most evocative settings of the Umbrian city: the Teatro Romano, Piazza Duomo, the Teatro Nuovo Gian Carlo Menotti and the Rocca Albornoziana. A review that attracts thousands of spectators and over a thousand artists from all over the world each year.

A festival that made history

Born in 1958 from the intuition of composer Gian Carlo Menotti, the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto is one of the most prestigious international reviews of live performance in Italy. The name refers to the original idea of uniting two continents — Europe and America — through artistic creation, and over the decades the festival has hosted some of the biggest names in world music, theatre, and dance on its stages.

Spoleto, an open-air stage

The heart of the festival beats in the historic centre of Spoleto, in the province of Perugia: the monumental Teatro Romano from the Augustan era, the scenic Piazza Duomo dominated by the facade of the Cathedral, the Teatro Nuovo Gian Carlo Menotti, the Teatro Caio Melisso, the Rocca Albornoziana and the Palazzo Collicola. The entire city, perched on the slopes of Sant'Elia hill, transforms into a widespread stage where music, words, and movement dialogue with stone and history.

A multidisciplinary programme

Each edition offers a packed calendar ranging from opera to symphonic concerts, from major prose theatre to contemporary dance, from visual arts to meetings with artists. The famous final Concert in Piazza Duomo has always been one of the most beloved events, capable of attracting a vast audience to the heart of the city.

An international draw

With over a thousand artists involved each year from dozens of countries, the Festival dei Due Mondi is a world-class event that has made Spoleto and Umbria a top cultural destination. A twin version of the event is also held in the United States, in Charleston, testifying to the transatlantic vocation desired by its founder.

Festival di Spoleto — edition 2026

The 69th edition of the Festival dei Due Mondi, titled 'Roots', takes place from June 26 to July 12, 2026, under the new artistic direction of Daniele Cipriani. Seventeen days, 100 performances, 7 world premieres, and 9 original productions with over a thousand artists from 27 countries.

The 69th edition of the Festival dei Due Mondi marks the debut of the artistic direction of Daniele Cipriani and develops around the theme of 'Roots', with a manifesto signed by artist Giuseppe Penone. Scheduled are 100 performances, 7 world premieres, and 9 original productions, with over 1,000 artists from 27 countries spread across the Teatro Romano, Piazza Duomo, Teatro Nuovo Gian Carlo Menotti, Teatro Caio Melisso, Rocca Albornoziana, and Palazzo Collicola. Among the novelties is the reopening to the public of the Basilica di San Salvatore, a UNESCO site.

Programme Festival di Spoleto 2026

Opening — June 26

  • Vanessa by Samuel Barber (libretto by Gian Carlo Menotti), a new Festival production directed by Leo Muscato, conducted by Sora Elisabeth Lee (Italian opera debut) with the Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna and the Coro del Teatro Lirico Sperimentale di Spoleto.

Music

  • MIKA Symphonique (June 30)
  • London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin with pianist Yuja Wang (Rachmaninov and Prokofiev) — July 3
  • Arisa in concert (July 9)
  • Final concert in Piazza Duomo (July 12): Gianandrea Noseda conducts the Filarmonica del Teatro Regio di Torino

Dance

  • This is Rambert — the historic British company celebrates its centenary at the Teatro Romano (June 26-29) with Hop(e)storm by (LA)HORDE, Gallery of Consequence by Emma Evelein, and a creation by Bobbi Jene Smith
  • International Dance Marathon (July 4-5)
  • Creation by Benjamin Millepied (July 8-9)
  • Rocío Molina (July 10-12)

Theatre

  • World premiere of Platonov by Anton Chekhov

Full programme and ticketing at festivaldispoleto.com.

Highlights Festival di Spoleto 2026

Opening opera 'Vanessa' by Barber; MIKA Symphonique; London Symphony Orchestra with Nézet-Séguin and Yuja Wang; Gianandrea Noseda's final concert in Piazza Duomo; Rambert's centenary at the Teatro Romano.

Prices Festival di Spoleto 2026

Tickets for individual performances, season tickets, packages, and Festival Easy Card at festivaldispoleto.vivaticket.it. Prices vary by performance and seating area.

Practical information — Festival di Spoleto

How to get here

By train: Spoleto station on the Rome-Ancona line, a few minutes from the historic centre (also connected by escalators and mechanical walkways). By car: Spoleto exit of the SS3 Flaminia.

Tickets

Tickets for individual performances, season tickets, packages, and the Festival Easy Card are available online at festivaldispoleto.vivaticket.it. Information: [email protected] — tel. +39 0743 69080 / +39 0743 221689.

Where to stay

Spoleto offers numerous facilities in the historic centre and its hamlets; given the high attendance during the festival, it is advisable to book well in advance.

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Where does it take place — Festival di Spoleto

Teatro Nuovo Gian Carlo Menotti, Piazza Duomo, Teatro Romano

Via Vaita Sant'Andrea 10, 06049 Spoleto

Contact Festival di Spoleto

Tel
+39 0743 69080

Festival di Spoleto in brief

Classical Opera Sacred music Theater Dance Contemporary dance Visual arts Contemporary art Multidisciplinary International Perugia

History of Festival di Spoleto