Type of event
Passion, jealousy, and a "slice of life": Teatro Regio opens the season with the Verismo classics Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci. A gripping double bill featuring stars like Ekaterina Semenchuk and Gregory Kunde.
A blessing and a challenge in the programming of every major opera house, "La traviata" holds a special place in La Scala’s history, marked by the legendary 1953 production conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini, directed by Luchino Visconti, and starring Maria Callas. That iconic interpretation seemed untouchable until 1990, when Riccardo Muti commissioned a new, lavish production from director Liliana Cavani, with sets by Dante Ferretti and costumes by Gabriella Pescucci, featuring an all-young cast. This evocative and poetic staging returns to the stage in 2026, conducted by Michele Gamba, who in recent years has led major productions at La Scala including "Rigoletto," "Médée," "Turandot," and "Tosca." The cast is unmissable: alongside the charismatic Nadine Sierra in the title role, Piero Pretti and Iván Ayón Rivas alternate as Alfredo, with Boris Pinkhasovich and Amartuvshin Enkhbat as Giorgio Germont.
On October 2, 9, 16, and 25, 2026, Verdi's masterpiece "Aida" will be performed at the Teatro Giuseppe Verdi di Busseto. Aligning with the festival theme "Mondi Lontani", the production stages the Egyptian-Ethiopian conflicts, featuring the legendary staging by Franco Zeffirelli (revived by Stefano Trespidi). Giuseppe Mengoli conducts the Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini. The cast includes Federica Vitali (Aida), Vincenzo Costanzo (Radamès), and Teresa Iervolino (Amneris). Experience monumental operatic drama in Verdi's hometown, where love in a distant land falls victim to war.
On October 1, 8, and 17, 2026, the XXVI Festival Verdi in Parma opens with the rarely performed opera "Alzira." Under the theme "Mondi Lontani" (Distant Worlds), the work at the Teatro Regio di Parma illuminates the conflict between Spanish conquerors and indigenous peoples in 16th-century Peru. The Verdi expert James Conlon conducts the Orchestra Filarmonica Toscanini and soloists, including Marta Torbidoni (Alzira) and Antonio Poli (Zamoro), in this story of love and dramatic cultural clash. An evening that revives a forgotten Verdi jewel in a new staging by Manuel Renga.
A story of love, betrayal, and redemption, set between joyful peasant festivals and the white throng of Wilis, as captivating as they are merciless: "Giselle", the quintessential romantic ballet, continues to move audiences with its delicate story, drawing them in through the technique and sensitivity of the performers’ interpretation, in the contrast between a sunny world and a dark realm populated by spirits. The La Scala Ballet brings back the unforgettable choreography of Coralli-Perrot in the revival by Yvette Chauviré, who, with her care and refinement in roles like Giselle, elevated the classical tradition in all its purity and earned global acclaim. Her version, which first premiered at La Scala in 1950, saw her perform as the ill-fated young peasant girl who dreamed of love and loved to dance. With the classic La Scala staging by Aleksandr Benois, "Giselle" is a part of the theatre’s history, performed by its artists in many countries around the world, infusing each revival with new life and emotions, keeping this wonderful production alive.
On Sundays October 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2026, the XXVI Festival Verdi invites you to the midday concert "MEZZOGIORNO IN MUSICA" at 12:00 PM in the historic Palazzo Ducale di Parma. Former artists of the Accademia Verdiana will perform arias and duets by Giuseppe Verdi with intimate piano accompaniment. The concerts, often featuring scholarly introductions and an aperitif, offer a perfect opportunity to discover young talents and experience Verdi's music in a unique setting.
Passion, jealousy, and a "slice of life": Teatro Regio opens the season with the Verismo classics Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci. A gripping double bill featuring stars like Ekaterina Semenchuk and Gregory Kunde.
On October 3, 11, 18, and 24, 2026, Verdi's breakthrough work "Nabucodonosor" will be performed as part of the Verdi Festival at the Teatro Regio di Parma. Under the theme "Mondi Lontani," Pier Luigi Pizzi (director, sets, costumes) stages the drama surrounding the Babylonian King and the Jewish exile. Francesco Lanzillotta conducts the Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna. The cast includes Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar (Nabucodonosor), Lidia Fridman (Abigaille), and Michele Pertusi (Zaccaria). Experience the elemental force of Verdi's music and the moving Chorus of the Captives.
A story of love, betrayal, and redemption, set between joyful peasant festivals and the white throng of Wilis, as captivating as they are merciless: "Giselle", the quintessential romantic ballet, continues to move audiences with its delicate story, drawing them in through the technique and sensitivity of the performers’ interpretation, in the contrast between a sunny world and a dark realm populated by spirits. The La Scala Ballet brings back the unforgettable choreography of Coralli-Perrot in the revival by Yvette Chauviré, who, with her care and refinement in roles like Giselle, elevated the classical tradition in all its purity and earned global acclaim. Her version, which first premiered at La Scala in 1950, saw her perform as the ill-fated young peasant girl who dreamed of love and loved to dance. With the classic La Scala staging by Aleksandr Benois, "Giselle" is a part of the theatre’s history, performed by its artists in many countries around the world, infusing each revival with new life and emotions, keeping this wonderful production alive.
Among the most beloved titles in the French repertoire for their melodic invention and the natural flow of dramatic progression, "Faust" by Charles Gounod has been absent from the stage of the Teatro alla Scala since 2010. The new production, a co-production with the Palau de les Arts in Valencia and the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin, marks the return of conductor Daniele Rustioni, who is about to conclude his tenure as Principal Conductor at the Opéra de Lyon and has not conducted at La Scala since "Il Trovatore" in 2014. It also marks the debut of director Johannes Erath, a musician by training, whose production of "Ermione" for the 2024 Rossini Festival won the Italian music critics’ prestigious Abbiati Award for Best Production. On stage, some of the most beloved artists by the La Scala audience: Marina Rebeka, who will bring "Norma" by Bellini back to Milan in 2025, and Alex Esposito, an artist with an ever-expanding repertoire.
A story of love, betrayal, and redemption, set between joyful peasant festivals and the white throng of Wilis, as captivating as they are merciless: "Giselle", the quintessential romantic ballet, continues to move audiences with its delicate story, drawing them in through the technique and sensitivity of the performers’ interpretation, in the contrast between a sunny world and a dark realm populated by spirits. The La Scala Ballet brings back the unforgettable choreography of Coralli-Perrot in the revival by Yvette Chauviré, who, with her care and refinement in roles like Giselle, elevated the classical tradition in all its purity and earned global acclaim. Her version, which first premiered at La Scala in 1950, saw her perform as the ill-fated young peasant girl who dreamed of love and loved to dance. With the classic La Scala staging by Aleksandr Benois, "Giselle" is a part of the theatre’s history, performed by its artists in many countries around the world, infusing each revival with new life and emotions, keeping this wonderful production alive.
A story of love, betrayal, and redemption, set between joyful peasant festivals and the white throng of Wilis, as captivating as they are merciless: "Giselle", the quintessential romantic ballet, continues to move audiences with its delicate story, drawing them in through the technique and sensitivity of the performers’ interpretation, in the contrast between a sunny world and a dark realm populated by spirits. The La Scala Ballet brings back the unforgettable choreography of Coralli-Perrot in the revival by Yvette Chauviré, who, with her care and refinement in roles like Giselle, elevated the classical tradition in all its purity and earned global acclaim. Her version, which first premiered at La Scala in 1950, saw her perform as the ill-fated young peasant girl who dreamed of love and loved to dance. With the classic La Scala staging by Aleksandr Benois, "Giselle" is a part of the theatre’s history, performed by its artists in many countries around the world, infusing each revival with new life and emotions, keeping this wonderful production alive.
Passion, jealousy, and a "slice of life": Teatro Regio opens the season with the Verismo classics Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci. A gripping double bill featuring stars like Ekaterina Semenchuk and Gregory Kunde.
On Friday, October 23, 2026, at 8:00 PM, Giuseppe Verdi's Messa da Requiem will be performed at the Teatro Regio di Parma. Led by Daniele Rustioni and featuring the Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini and the Coro del Teatro Regio, the Requiem forms a spiritual climax of the festival. The all-star soloist quartet includes Eleonora Buratto, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Saimir Pirgu, and Roberto Tagliavini.
World premiere of Nicola Piovani’s opera Romanzo criminale at Teatro del Maggio, Florence (23–31 Oct 2026). A gripping saga of crime and power.
A story of love, betrayal, and redemption, set between joyful peasant festivals and the white throng of Wilis, as captivating as they are merciless: "Giselle", the quintessential romantic ballet, continues to move audiences with its delicate story, drawing them in through the technique and sensitivity of the performers’ interpretation, in the contrast between a sunny world and a dark realm populated by spirits. The La Scala Ballet brings back the unforgettable choreography of Coralli-Perrot in the revival by Yvette Chauviré, who, with her care and refinement in roles like Giselle, elevated the classical tradition in all its purity and earned global acclaim. Her version, which first premiered at La Scala in 1950, saw her perform as the ill-fated young peasant girl who dreamed of love and loved to dance. With the classic La Scala staging by Aleksandr Benois, "Giselle" is a part of the theatre’s history, performed by its artists in many countries around the world, infusing each revival with new life and emotions, keeping this wonderful production alive.
Verdi’s “Rigoletto” at Teatro Massimo Palermo, Oct 23–31, 2026 – starring Ludovic Tézier, Adela Zaharia, and Francesco Demuro.
Passion, jealousy, and a "slice of life": Teatro Regio opens the season with the Verismo classics Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci. A gripping double bill featuring stars like Ekaterina Semenchuk and Gregory Kunde.
Among the most beloved titles in the French repertoire for their melodic invention and the natural flow of dramatic progression, "Faust" by Charles Gounod has been absent from the stage of the Teatro alla Scala since 2010. The new production, a co-production with the Palau de les Arts in Valencia and the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin, marks the return of conductor Daniele Rustioni, who is about to conclude his tenure as Principal Conductor at the Opéra de Lyon and has not conducted at La Scala since "Il Trovatore" in 2014. It also marks the debut of director Johannes Erath, a musician by training, whose production of "Ermione" for the 2024 Rossini Festival won the Italian music critics’ prestigious Abbiati Award for Best Production. On stage, some of the most beloved artists by the La Scala audience: Marina Rebeka, who will bring "Norma" by Bellini back to Milan in 2025, and Alex Esposito, an artist with an ever-expanding repertoire.
On October 3, 11, 18, and 24, 2026, Verdi's breakthrough work "Nabucodonosor" will be performed as part of the Verdi Festival at the Teatro Regio di Parma. Under the theme "Mondi Lontani," Pier Luigi Pizzi (director, sets, costumes) stages the drama surrounding the Babylonian King and the Jewish exile. Francesco Lanzillotta conducts the Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna. The cast includes Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar (Nabucodonosor), Lidia Fridman (Abigaille), and Michele Pertusi (Zaccaria). Experience the elemental force of Verdi's music and the moving Chorus of the Captives.
Verdi’s “Rigoletto” at Teatro Massimo Palermo, Oct 23–31, 2026 – starring Ludovic Tézier, Adela Zaharia, and Francesco Demuro.
On Sundays October 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2026, the XXVI Festival Verdi invites you to the midday concert "MEZZOGIORNO IN MUSICA" at 12:00 PM in the historic Palazzo Ducale di Parma. Former artists of the Accademia Verdiana will perform arias and duets by Giuseppe Verdi with intimate piano accompaniment. The concerts, often featuring scholarly introductions and an aperitif, offer a perfect opportunity to discover young talents and experience Verdi's music in a unique setting.
On October 2, 9, 16, and 25, 2026, Verdi's masterpiece "Aida" will be performed at the Teatro Giuseppe Verdi di Busseto. Aligning with the festival theme "Mondi Lontani", the production stages the Egyptian-Ethiopian conflicts, featuring the legendary staging by Franco Zeffirelli (revived by Stefano Trespidi). Giuseppe Mengoli conducts the Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini. The cast includes Federica Vitali (Aida), Vincenzo Costanzo (Radamès), and Teresa Iervolino (Amneris). Experience monumental operatic drama in Verdi's hometown, where love in a distant land falls victim to war.
World premiere of Nicola Piovani’s opera Romanzo criminale at Teatro del Maggio, Florence (23–31 Oct 2026). A gripping saga of crime and power.
Verdi’s “Rigoletto” at Teatro Massimo Palermo, Oct 23–31, 2026 – starring Ludovic Tézier, Adela Zaharia, and Francesco Demuro.
