Prima della Scala

The Scala's December 7th

The Prima della Scala is much more than an opera evening: it is the ritual that every year, on December 7th – the day of Sant'Ambrogio, Milan's patron saint – opens the opera season of the Teatro alla Scala, in Via Filodrammatici. It is an event that engages the entire city: the streets of the center, the cafes, the newspapers, the institutions. For Milanese people (and for Italy watching the television broadcast), the Prima symbolically marks the beginning of winter and the holiday season.

The 2026 Opera: Otello

For the 2026-2027 season, the curtain rises on Giuseppe Verdi's Otello, one of the absolute masterpieces of the repertoire. The direction is entrusted to Damiano Michieletto, among the most sought-after Italian directors internationally, while on the podium is Myung-Whun Chung, in his debut as Music Director of the Teatro alla Scala: a historic moment for the Milanese institution.

Between Art and City Identity

The Prima is also a major social and media event: the theatre's foyer hosts authorities, cultural and entertainment personalities, while in the square, enthusiasts, the curious, and sometimes demonstrators gather. But the heart remains the music: Milan's Scala (Province of Milan, Lombardy) is one of the world's temples of opera, and its opening night is followed by theatres and opera lovers worldwide.

An Event to Experience

Attending the Prima live is a rare and highly coveted experience, with tickets among the most sought-after of the year. But the event is also experienced outside the theatre, thanks to the "Prima Diffusa" initiatives that bring opera to various locations in the city, and the television broadcast that makes it a collective event.