Arena di Verona Opera Festival 2027: Dates and Tips

The Arena di Verona Opera Festival 2027 runs from June 11 to September 11, 2027. It is the 104th edition of the festival, staged every summer in the Roman amphitheater on Piazza Bra, under the open sky. Verdi dominates the program, with Carmen, a ballet and a handful of concerts alongside.

Updated September 2026. Dates, program and rules from the Arena di Verona Foundation, checked in September 2026.

Arena di Verona opera festival 2027 at a glance

The 2027 program

These are the titles announced by the Arena di Verona Foundation, with the first and last performance of each. Every title plays on selected evenings within that range, not every night.

The festival also lists concerts, including Jonas Kaufmann and Carmina Burana. So if you can only come for one evening, pick the date first and then see which title is on.

How to plan your Arena di Verona opera night

• Arrive early: the gates open two hours before the performance, and the festival recommends arriving at least an hour before the start.
• Bring a cushion for the stone steps: the unreserved seats are on the ancient steps. You can bring a cushion from home or buy one there.
• Dress for the section you booked: there is no dress code. However, the festival prefers smart dress in the stalls, and it does not admit men in shorts, tank tops or flip-flops there.
• Pack light: you can bring a small backpack and a small folding umbrella without sharp points. On the other hand, you cannot bring cameras, bags over 17 liters, food and drinks, or bottles other than plastic ones up to 0.5 liters.
• Children under 4 can only sit in the Family Side armchair sector.

If it rains

Summer storms are the risk of an open-air theater. The rules are the festival’s own, and they are not generous: once a performance has started, the festival does not refund the ticket. If the show stops for good before the end of the first act, you can buy a ticket for another festival performance of the same or a lower category for a nominal fee. If it stops after the first act, you get a 30% discount on another performance. For shows cancelled after August 15, the compensation also covers the following year’s festival. If the forecast is bad, the gates may open late or not at all.

In practice, keep one spare evening in Verona if the Arena di Verona opera festival is the reason for your trip.

If your trip continues to Venice, the music goes on there: our Venice concert page compares Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with tenor arias, from about $41, with an opera staged room by room in a Grand Canal palazzo, from about $113 (checked September 2026).

What to book around your opera night

We chose the experiences below on Viator for a rating of 4.5 or higher across more than 200 reviews, checked in September 2026. None of them includes an opera ticket: book that separately with the Arena.

See the Arena by day

Affiliate link: Italy2Love earns a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.

The Verona small-group walking tour with the Arena and the cable car covers Piazza Bra, the Roman amphitheater and Piazza delle Erbe with a guide, in groups of up to 12, and includes a ride on the cable car up St. Peter’s Hill. It takes about two and a half to three hours. Arena entry depends on the option you choose and is not available on Mondays, so check before you book. Travelers rate it 4.8 out of 5 across 431 reviews, and prices start from about $68 (checked September 2026).

Taste the wines of Valpolicella

The Valpolicella winery visit and tasting takes you from Verona to a family-run winery in the hills north of the city, with a tour of the vineyards and the cellar, and a tasting of Valpolicella, Ripasso and Amarone with olive oil, cheese and salami. It takes about two and a half hours, with transport from Verona. Travelers rate it 4.7 out of 5 across 361 reviews, and prices start from about $81 (checked September 2026).

A day on Lake Garda

The Sirmione and Lake Garda tour from Verona includes a boat ride and a spritz tasting, in about five hours. Travelers rate it 4.8 out of 5 across 252 reviews, and prices start from about $104 (checked September 2026). We compare it with other options on our Lake Garda day trip page.

The rest of your stay

For more walking tours, see our Verona walking tour page. Plan the rest of the region with the Veneto travel guide, and see what else is on in Italy through the year in our events guide.

Sources: festival dates, program, visitor rules and the rules for cancelled or interrupted performances from the Arena di Verona Foundation’s official website, checked September 24, 2026. Experiences: ratings, review counts, prices and inclusions read on each Viator product page (product codes 51192P149, 86300P3 and 6404P66), checked in September 2026. Featured photo: Kevin Poh, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Staying a day or two? Our guide to Verona tours covers the Arena visiting rules, the new Juliet’s House entrance, the VeronaCard and nearby day trips.

Make a trip of it. One night at the Arena is magic. A few more days around Verona make it a trip to remember.

• Verona itinerary: one and two days, with VeronaCard logic.
• Valpolicella wine tasting: Amarone and the Classico villages.
• Lake Garda itinerary: one to four days by shore, boat and base.
• Italy in summer: which month, where to go and how to beat the heat.

Staying in Verona for the opera? Compare places to stay below.

Affiliate links: if you book through them, Italy2Love earns a commission at no extra cost to you.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Arena di Verona Opera Festival in 2027?

From June 11 to September 11, 2027. It is the 104th edition of the festival, according to the Arena di Verona Foundation.

Which operas are on in 2027?

The announced program includes Aida in its 1913 staging, Aida in Stefano Poda’s production, La Traviata, Carmen, Nabucco, Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet ballet and Roberto Bolle and Friends, plus concerts. Each title runs on selected dates only, so check the calendar before you book.

Where do you buy Arena di Verona tickets?

From the Arena di Verona Foundation’s official ticket shop. As of September 2026, tickets for the 2027 festival are already on sale.

Is there a dress code at the Arena di Verona?

There is no compulsory dress code. However, the festival prefers smart dress in the stalls, and it does not admit men in shorts, tank tops or flip-flops there.

What happens if it rains during the opera?

Once a performance has started, the festival does not refund the ticket. If it stops for good before the end of the first act, you can buy a ticket for another festival performance of the same or a lower category for a small fee; if it stops later, you get a 30% discount on another performance. Check the festival’s rules for the details.