Arena di Verona Opera Festival Unveils 103rd Season
The historic Italian festival will present 50 nights of opera, ballet, and concerts this summer.
Hosted in the 10,000-seat Roman amphitheater at the heart of Verona, the Arena di Verona Opera Festival will present its 103rd season across 50 evenings from June 12 through September 12. Central to the 2026 lineup are six Italian operas by Verdi and Puccini, alongside ballet performances and immersive multimedia concerts.
The season includes a new production of Verdi’s La traviata, two stagings of Aïda, and productions of Nabucco, Turandot, and La bohème. The festival will also present Orff’s Carmina Burana, two ballet evenings, and two large-scale multimedia concerts.
Among the returning artists are Roberto Alagna, Erin Morley, Anna Netrebko, Lisette Oropesa, and Ludovic Tézier. Festival debuts include Operalia winner Mihai Damian, mezzo-soprano Annalisa Stroppa, and conductor James Conlon.
The 2026 edition follows a record-setting season in which the festival reported $41.79 million in box office revenue and more than 404,000 attendees, with 61% traveling from abroad.
Verdi and Puccini Highlights
The festival opens with a new production of La traviata, conducted by Michele Spotti and Francesco Ivan Ciampa, with casts including Martina Russomanno, Yusif Eyvazov, and Mihai Damian.
Two contrasting productions of Aïda anchor the season. The first, directed by Stefano Poda, returns following its centenary debut. The second revives Franco Zeffirelli’s large-scale staging, featuring casts that include Aleksandra Kurzak, Roberto Alagna, Anna Netrebko, and Ludovic Tézier.
Verdi’s Nabucco also returns in Stefano Poda’s production, while Puccini’s La bohème will be presented in Alfonso Signorini’s staging, conducted by Francesco Lanzillotta.
The operatic lineup concludes with Zeffirelli’s Turandot, conducted by Andrea Battistoni and featuring Lise Lindstrom, Brian Jagde, and Lisette Oropesa.
Concerts and Dance
James Conlon will make his Arena debut conducting Carmina Burana with the Fondazione Arena di Verona Orchestra and Chorus. The season also includes two immersive multimedia concerts in collaboration with Balich Wonder Studio: the world premiere of “Paganini Paradise” and the return of “Viva Vivaldi.”
Dance programming includes “Roberto Bolle and Friends,” celebrating the principal dancer of Teatro alla Scala Ballet, and two performances of Zorba the Greek at Verona’s Teatro Romano.
Held annually since its inaugural 1913 production of Aïda, the Arena di Verona Opera Festival remains one of the world’s largest and longest-running open-air opera festivals, presenting nearly 50 performances each summer under the stars.
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