Sicilian Opera Festival

The Sicilian Opera Festival

The Sicilian Opera Festival is the new opera series in Castellammare del Golfo, a seaside town in the province of Trapani overlooking the gulf of the same name in north-western Sicily. Included in the municipality's rich 2026 cultural calendar, the festival presents a week entirely dedicated to opera and the great repertoire of the Italian and European operatic tradition.

The Teatro Apollo Anton Rocco Guadagno

The event is held at the Teatro Apollo Anton Rocco Guadagno, the historic town theatre located on Corso Bernardo Mattarella. It is an intimate Italian-style theatre with just under two hundred seats, brought back to the heart of the community's cultural life thanks to the collaboration between the municipality and the Pro Loco. Its intimate size makes it an ideal space to experience operatic voices up close, creating a direct connection between performers and the audience that is rare in larger theatres.

A name with a story

The theatre is named after Anton Rocco Guadagno, a conductor born in Castellammare del Golfo in 1923 who passed away in Vienna in 2002. An internationally renowned figure, Guadagno was a key player in the artistic direction of the Vienna State Opera for nearly thirty years and conducted in the world's leading theatres. Dedicating an opera festival to him in his hometown means restoring an important piece of the community's musical identity and celebrating the deep bond between Sicily and the great operatic tradition.

Opera by the gulf

More than just a series of performances, the festival aims to be a tribute to operatic culture as a shared heritage. A week of music in the heart of the Castellammare autumn season, when the town leaves the summer beach crowds behind and rediscovers its cultural vocation. With famous arias, Sicilian voices, and an atmosphere of times gone by, the Sicilian Opera Festival enriches the cultural offering of the Trapani area and helps to extend the tourist season.

Castellammare del Golfo and its surroundings

A seaside town dominated by its Arab-Norman castle and harbour, Castellammare del Golfo is one of the most evocative destinations in western Sicily, located a short distance from Scopello, the Zingaro Nature Reserve, and the archaeological site of Segesta. The festival is part of a calendar of events that the municipality extends from June to November, reflecting the desire to make culture one of the driving forces of city life throughout the year.