Taranto Opera Festival

The Taranto Opera Festival

The Taranto Opera Festival is the premier event bringing grand opera to the Ionian capital, transforming the Arena Villa Peripato into an open-air theater every summer. Nestled in the greenery of one of Taranto's most beloved historic villas in Puglia, the audience can enjoy great titles of Italian and European melodrama performed with a live orchestra, choir, and soloists, in a scenic setting that unites music with the urban landscape.

An opera season under the stars

The summer season alternates between repertoire masterpieces and evenings dedicated to popular music, making opera accessible even to those who do not regularly attend the opera house. From the passions of Georges Bizet's Carmen to the poignant La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi, and including concerts of Neapolitan songs, the festival builds an accessible, high-quality musical journey designed for the warm summer nights of the South.

A project rooted in the territory

The festival is promoted and organized by the Associazione Domenico Savino, with the patronage of the Municipality of Taranto and the collaboration of the Giovanni Paisiello Music Conservatory, the city's historic musical institution. The festival showcases local artistic talent and offers young performers an important stage, contributing to the cultural life of the Ionian city.

The Arena Villa Peripato

The heart of the event is Villa Peripato, the 19th-century public garden overlooking the Mar Piccolo, one of Taranto's iconic landmarks. The arena, set among trees and avenues, offers an evocative and intimate setting, ideal for listening to opera outdoors on summer evenings.

• Where: Arena Villa Peripato, Taranto (Puglia, province of Taranto)
• When: Summer opera season, July
• Genre: Opera, concerts, classical and popular music
• Format: Evening open-air performances with live orchestra

With its dual soul—both high-brow and popular—the Taranto Opera Festival has become a staple of the Apulian cultural summer, drawing enthusiasts and curious visitors alike under the starry sky of the city of the two seas.