Discover Verdi’s Aida at Verona’s Arena Opera Festival 2026, with a stellar cast and Stefano Poda’s spectacular production in the majestic Arena di Verona.

This new production of "Nabucodonosor" represents another jewel in Music Director Maestro Riccardo Chailly's comprehensive and passionate exploration of Verdi's complete works, with which he concludes his profound engagement with the composer's early operas. The triumphant success of "Nabucodonosor" at La Scala in 1842 marked Verdi's definitive, unstoppable breakthrough and forged a deep, emotional connection between the Milanese theater and the burgeoning spirit of the Italian unification movement, the Risorgimento. The new staging, under the visionary direction of the established South African talent Alessandro Talevi, who has fascinatingly reconnected with his Italian roots, will lovingly integrate the divertissements composed by Verdi for the 1848 Brussels revival. The cast is truly top-tier, featuring Luca Salsi as Nabucodonosor, the charismatic Anna Netrebko as Abigaille, Francesco Meli as Ismaele, Michele Pertusi as Zaccaria, and Veronica Simeoni as Fenena. An absolutely central and deeply moving role is also played by the legendary Teatro alla Scala Chorus, which will transform the iconic "Va, pensiero" into an unforgettable and uplifting experience.