Operaestate Festival Veneto
Dance, theatre, music, and contemporary circus in the heart of Veneto
About Operaestate Festival
A festival that lasts an entire summer
Operaestate Festival Veneto is the major summer event in Bassano del Grappa (province of Vicenza) which, since 1981, has transformed the city and the entire Pedemontana Veneta into an open-air stage. From late June to mid-September, the program features over a hundred performances of dance, theatre, music, opera, cinema, and contemporary circus, with hundreds of artists from about fifteen countries.
Venues: from the Castle to Venetian villas
The festival is truly widespread: it takes place in the historic center of Bassano, at the Teatro al Castello Tito Gobbi, along the Brenta river, in the Parco Ragazzi del '99, and in the theatres, villas, and art venues of dozens of towns in the foothills, from Castelfranco Veneto to Marostica, from Asolo to Cittadella.
B.Motion, the contemporary heart
The research core of the event is B.Motion, the late August section dedicated to contemporary stage languages: dance, theatre, and music with dozens of new productions, workshops, residencies, and international exchange projects. Alongside this are offerings for families and young audiences (MiniMotion / Minifest) and a contemporary circus season in September.
A benchmark for Veneto
Recognized nationally and internationally, Operaestate is one of the most important multidisciplinary festivals in Veneto and a privileged observatory for new European creation, capable of alternating big names from the Italian scene with emerging young companies.
Operaestate Festival — edition 2026
The 46th edition of Operaestate Festival Veneto runs from June 26 to September 13, 2026, with over 110 performances and more than 680 artists from 15 countries, spread across dozens of venues in Bassano del Grappa and the Pedemontana region.
The opening is dedicated to dance, with a parade by the French company Remue-Ménage. The music program features major names in jazz and singer-songwriter genres, while the B.Motion section (August 21–31) focuses on new contemporary creations, this year with a spotlight on Switzerland and Lithuania. In September, Parco Ragazzi del '99 hosts contemporary circus.
Programme Operaestate Festival 2026
July 1 — Opening
- Remue-Ménage (France) — dance parade "Legendary"
July 6 — Music on the water
- "Music on the water and for the Royal Fireworks" along the Brenta, curated by the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto
July — Dance and theatre
- July 9 — Chiara Frigo, "A Human Song" (national premiere)
- July 14 — Daniele Albanese, "Von"
- July 23 — "Povero diavolo" and July 24 "Polittico dell'infamia" (with Anagoor)
- July 26 — Paolo Fresu "Kind of Lives", tribute to Miles Davis
- July 29 — Ayelen Parolin, "Irresistible Revolution"
- July 30 — Peppe Servillo "Pensioni e Parole", tribute to Lucio Battisti with Rita Marcotulli, Javier Girotto, Fabrizio Bosso
- July 31 — Andrea Pennacchi and Massimo Carlotto, "30 Anni da Alligatore"
August
- August 2 — Enrico Ianniello, "Isidoro" (directed by Pau Mirò)
- August 4 — premiere of Cavalleria rusticana
- August 9 — Ramin Bahrami, "Bach Dance Concert"
- August 21–31 — B.Motion: over 40 contemporary dance, theatre, and music performances (focus on Switzerland and Lithuania)
September — Contemporary circus
- September 3–13 — contemporary circus festival at Parco Ragazzi del '99
Full program at operaestate.it.
Highlights Operaestate Festival 2026
Paolo Fresu with the tribute to Miles Davis, Peppe Servillo for Lucio Battisti, Andrea Pennacchi and Massimo Carlotto, the premiere of Cavalleria rusticana, and the contemporary section B.Motion.
Prices Operaestate Festival 2026
Practical information — Operaestate Festival
How to get here
Bassano del Grappa is served by a train station on the lines to Vicenza, Padua, and Trento. By car, it can be reached from the A31 Valdastico motorway and the SS47 Valsugana trunk road. Many performances take place in towns in the foothills: check the venue for each event.
Tickets
Online presale at operaestate.it and vivaticket.it; physical ticket office in Bassano. It's advisable to book in advance for the most popular performances.
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Where does it take place — Operaestate Festival
Centro storico di Bassano del Grappa e sedi della Pedemontana Veneta
Largo Corona d'Italia 35, 36061 Bassano del Grappa