Table of Contents
The Verona Arena opera festival is back! The Arena di Verona Opera Festival returns with a bang, promising a spectacle that surpasses all expectations. This summer, the historic amphitheater transforms into a stage for fifty events, featuring world-class performances and innovative productions. Celebrating the centenary of Giacomo Puccini’s legacy, the Festival showcases classics alongside avant-garde presentations, ensuring there’s something for every opera attendee. The Verona Arena is one of the best things to do in Verona at night for festivals and performances just like these!
The Arena di Verona has Announced its Lineup for the 101st Season!
The opera festival runs from June 7th to September 7th, with 50 total events. Three of these are dedicated performances to celebrate a century since Giacomo Puccini’s passing. The season opens with Franco Zeffirelli’s spectacular Turandot on June 8th at 9:30 PM.
Additionally, Hugo De Ana’s “noir” production of “Tosca,” stars Anna Netrebko in her Arena debut, and a new staging of La Bohème directed by Alfonso Signorini (another Arena first-timer) mark the highlights of Lucca’s compositions this year.
Four other iconic works grace the stage:
- Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida gets a double feature: the “crystal” version from the 100th Festival (June 14th – August 1st) and the 1913 centenary staging (August 10th – September 5th).
- George Bizet’s Carmen returns in Franco Zeffirelli’s grand production (July 5th – September 7th).
- Gioachino Rossini’s The Barber of Seville comes alive in Hugo De Ana’s elegant rococo staging (June 21st – September 6th).
The Opera Festival Opens with a Bang!
The grand inauguration on June 7th features “The Great Italian Opera, a World Heritage Site,” a globally broadcast event celebrating Italy’s opera singing heritage in collaboration with UNESCO. Maestro Riccardo Muti graces the podium alongside 150 orchestra professors and over 300 choir artists from Italian opera-symphonic foundations.
The opening performance of “Turandot” is recorded by Rai Cultura and airs on Rai3, directed by newcomer Michele Spotti. Renowned voices such as Ekaterina Semenchuk, Yusif Eyvazov, and Mariangela Sicilia lead the cast. Throughout the Festival, international opera stars grace the stage, with notable debuts including Aigul Akhmetshina as Carmen, Pretty Yende as Micaela, and Juliana Grigoryan as Mimì.
Over 70 international opera stars grace the stage, making every evening a premiere. Familiar faces to the Arena like Amartuvshin Enkhbat and Jonas Kaufmann return, while Aigul Akhmetshina makes her debut as Carmen and Pretty Yende takes on Micaela.
“The new century of the Arena Festival opens By celebrating of the practice of opera singing, a World Heritage Site and with a surprising summer of opera and great entertainment”
– Cecilia Gasdia, Superintendent of the Arena di Verona Foundation
Special Events This Season
- Roberto Bolle and friends return for a dazzling dance performance (July 23rd & 24th).
- Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony gets a special performance under Andrea Battistoni on August 11th. Soloists include Erin Morley and Ivan Magrì (both making their Arena debuts).
- Plácido Domingo returns for a Spanish-themed gala on August 21st.
- Orff’s Carmina Burana, conducted by Michele Spotti, takes the stage on September 1st.
- Ballet returns to the Roman Theater with two dates of Zorba the Greek (August 27th & 28th).
A World Premiere Experience!
In a world premiere collaboration, Fondazione Arena di Verona and Balich Wonder Studio present an immersive concert celebrating the 300th anniversary of Antonio Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” employing three-dimensional projections to engage audiences in a visionary experience. This visionary project by Marco Balich aims to attract younger audiences.
Showtimes and Tickets
Shows start 15 minutes later than usual this year: June at 9:30 PM, July at 9:15 PM, and August/September at 9:00 PM.
Tickets are priced the same as 2023 and are already available online, on the Arena’s social media channels, and through Ticketone. Discounts are available for under 30 and over 65 year olds.
All information is available at: https://www.arena.it/it/arena-di-verona
