Opera Festival
Brescia becomes an open-air opera house, from dawn till midnight
About Opera Festival
A City That Sings
For a day and a night, Brescia transforms into an immense opera stage thanks to the Festa dell'Opera, conceived and organized by the Fondazione Teatro Grande. From dawn till midnight, famous arias and opera excerpts flood the city with dozens of free events, bringing the great repertoire out of the theatre and among the people.
Widespread Performance
The hallmark of the event is its widespread format: concerts and performances are held in unexpected locations—squares, churches, historic buildings, private residences, theatres, auditoriums, but also healthcare facilities and community centres. Arias are even broadcast in metro stations, so that opera reaches every corner of the Lombard city and every type of audience.
Opera Meets All Genres
The Festa dell'Opera is not a festival for aficionados only: the programme dialogues opera with jazz, electronic music, pop, and swing, in a play of contaminations that makes melodrama vibrant and contemporary. Each edition revolves around a theme that serves as a common thread for musical and dramaturgical choices.
A National Recognition
For its ability to make opera a shared heritage, the Festa dell'Opera in Brescia has been awarded the Medal of the President of the Republic. It is now one of the most recognizable cultural events in the provincial capital and the entire region, a symbol of a new and inclusive way of experiencing Italian operatic tradition.
Opera Festival — edition 2026
The XV edition of the Festa dell'Opera takes place on Saturday, June 6, 2026, with a preview on Friday, June 5, revolving around the theme "Conflicts": from social and geographical tensions to generational, psychological, and romantic ones.
Brescia transforms into an open-air opera house with over 50 free events in more than 40 locations: streets, squares, historic buildings, churches, theatres, metro stations, and community centres. Opera dialogues with jazz, electronic music, pop, and swing.
Programme Opera Festival 2026
Saturday, June 6, 2026 (preview Friday, June 5)
- Over 50 free events, from dawn till midnight, in more than 40 locations across the city
- Famous arias performed by Italian and international artists in squares, churches, and historic buildings
- Final scenes of an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck at Palazzo Tosio
- A one-act farce by Francesco Gnecco with young singers and musicians from the Conservatorio Luca Marenzio
- Broadcast of opera arias in metro stations on June 5 and 6
- Contaminations between opera and jazz, electronic music, pop, and swing
The full programme with times and venues is available on the official website festadellopera.it.
Highlights Opera Festival 2026
The Gluck scenes at Palazzo Tosio, the farce by the Conservatorio Marenzio, and the arias broadcast in the metro stations.
Prices Opera Festival 2026
Practical information — Opera Festival
Where
Teatro Grande and over 40 other locations throughout Brescia: squares, churches, historic buildings, theatres, metro stations.
When
Early June, with a preview the day before. Events from dawn till midnight.
Admission
All events and concerts are free.
How to get there
Brescia is served by the Milan-Venice high-speed line and the A4 motorway. It is recommended to use the metro and bicycle to get around the various festival locations.
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Where does it take place — Opera Festival
Teatro Grande e luoghi diffusi in città
Corso Zanardelli 9a, 25121 Brescia