Malatestiana Musicale Festival
Great international orchestras at the Galli Theatre in Rimini
About Malatestiana Festival
A historic classical music festival
The Malatestiana Musicale Festival is one of the longest-running and most authoritative classical music events in Italy. Founded in 1950, it takes its name from the powerful Malatesta family, lords of Rimini in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and takes place in the heart of the Municipality of Rimini, in Emilia-Romagna. Promoted by the Municipality of Rimini, the Festival is now an eagerly awaited event for enthusiasts and music lovers from all over Europe.
Great orchestras at the Galli Theatre
The heart of the event is the symphonic season hosted in the magnificent Amintore Galli Theatre, an 19th-century gem returned to the city after extensive restoration. Here, some of the most prestigious international orchestras take turns, led by conductors and accompanied by top-tier soloists, with programs ranging from the classical and romantic repertoire to the most beloved symphonic works.
Not just symphonic music
The Festival is not just about grand orchestras: the program is rich and multidisciplinary. Alongside symphonic concerts, there is space for:
- Chamber music, with refined journeys through different eras and styles;
- Baroque and early music, which also brings to light the medieval musical heritage of the Malatesta court;
- Organ concerts, which showcase the city's organ heritage and European sacred repertoire;
- Dance, with major companies and ballet productions;
- Special projects and contemporary experimentation, as well as programs dedicated to young musicians and music education.
Rimini, a city that becomes a stage
During the weeks of the Festival, music leaves the theatre and spreads through churches, historic palaces, and symbolic city locations, in a continuous dialogue between international names and young talents. It is the ideal opportunity to discover Rimini in a different light than its seaside image: a city of art and history, from the Tempio Malatestiano to the Tiberius Bridge, which in autumn becomes the capital of great music.
A tradition looking to the future
For over seventy years, the Malatestiana Musicale Festival has combined fidelity to the great repertoire with curiosity for new languages, confirming itself as a cultural benchmark for Rimini, for Emilia-Romagna, and for the entire Italian musical scene.
Malatestiana Festival — edition 2026
The 77th edition
The 77th Malatestiana Musicale Festival takes place in Rimini from August 30 to November 9, 2026, with the grand symphonic season at the Amintore Galli Theatre.
Symphonic concerts
- August 30 – Opening concert with the Münchner Philharmoniker conducted by Lahav Shani (Shostakovich and Brahms);
- September 24 – Arturo Toscanini Philharmonic Orchestra, a monographic journey through Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung;
- October 1 – Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia with Nikolai Lugansky on piano;
- October 11 – Filarmonica della Scala conducted by Riccardo Chailly;
- November 1 – Orchestra Leonore led by Daniele Giorgi, with Bach's Mass in B minor;
- November 9 – Chamber Orchestra of Europe conducted by Antonio Pappano, with pianist Alexandre Kantorow.
The other sections
Alongside the symphonic program, the festival includes chamber music (from the Baroque of the Accademia Bizantina with Ottavio Dantone to projects dedicated to the "New World"), dance, organ concerts, and special projects such as "Frammenti che cantano" by the Ensemble Micrologus, dedicated to the music of the Malatesta court, and the new production "The Tempest Songbook".
Programme Malatestiana Festival 2026
Highlights Malatestiana Festival 2026
Prices Malatestiana Festival 2026
Practical information — Malatestiana Festival
How to get here
The Amintore Galli Theatre is located in Piazza Cavour, in the historic center of Rimini. Rimini train station is about a 15-minute walk away and is well-connected by Adriatic and high-speed lines. By car, the city can be reached from the Rimini Nord or Rimini Sud exit of the A14 motorway. Federico Fellini Airport in Rimini-Miramare is a few kilometers away, while Bologna can be reached in about an hour by train.
Tickets
Tickets and season tickets can be purchased at the Galli Theatre box office and online at Vivaticket. Advance booking is recommended for concerts by major orchestras, which often sell out.
Tips
Rimini offers numerous accommodation options, from the historic center to the seaside area. In autumn, it is easy to combine concerts with a visit to the Malatesta monuments and the discovery of Romagna's gastronomy.
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Where does it take place — Malatestiana Festival
Teatro Amintore Galli
Piazza Cavour 22, 47921 Rimini