Opera Boat

A stage sailing on Lake Bolsena

Opera Boat is a musical project created by E45 that reimagines the relationship between music, space, and the audience, taking contemporary opera out of traditional theaters. The stage is the Fenice boat, which sets sail from the Port of Capodimonte on Lake Bolsena, in the Province of Viterbo, and cruises toward the evocative Isola Bisentina. On board, a small group of just twenty spectators watches live performances of original compositions: the lakeside landscape, the echo of voices, and the rhythm of the waves become part of the opera itself.

An intimate and immersive experience

The Opera Boat format prioritizes intimacy and closeness. Each day features three performances, with only twenty seats each, allowing every spectator to experience the music just steps away from the performers, bathed in the sunset light over the water. The works are entrusted to young Italian composers and emerging soloists from major conservatories, already active on the national and international scene. Booking is mandatory and admission is free.

Capodimonte and the Tuscia Viterbese

The Municipality of Capodimonte, overlooking the southern shore of Lake Bolsena in the Lazio region, provides a natural setting of rare beauty for Opera Boat. Isola Bisentina, with its thousand-year history and gardens, and the waters of the largest volcanic lake in Europe serve as the backdrop for an initiative that combines contemporary sound research with the promotion of the Tuscia Viterbese territory.

The editions

The first edition was held from September 29 to October 2, 2025, weaving contemporary opera with the myths and legends of the lake, from the Gothic queen Amalasuntha to the Volta dragon. The 2026 edition, from May 5 to 8, paid tribute to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart on the 270th anniversary of his birth, featuring four new compositions inspired by the Salzburg composer.

A project supported by institutions

Opera Boat is produced by E45 with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the SIAE «Per Chi Crea» program, the Lazio Region, and the Municipality of Capodimonte, in collaboration with Naviga Bolsena, which manages the boat service. The project confirms Lake Bolsena's vocation as a place for cultural experimentation and a meeting point between live music and landscape.