Carmen at the Arena di Verona 2025 | Arena Opera Festival

Carmen

Opera

2025

Georges Bizet

About

Franco Zeffirelli's Seville returns with its colours and scents to seduce us at the Arena di Verona. A behemoth of timeless charm, with captivating music by Georges Bizet and an arresting heroine.

Location

Arena di Verona

Director

Franco Zeffirelli

Language

French

Show type

Opera

Libretto

Henri Meilhac, Ludovic Halévy

Subtitles

Italian, English

Music

Georges Bizet

Duration

Approx. 3 h 50 min, including 2 intervals

tickets from 35,00€

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Upcoming shows

Friday

04 July 2025

at 21:15

starting from 35,00€

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Show cast

Carmen 04 July 2025 - The Cast: Characters and Artists list
Carmen	Aigul Akhmetshina
Micaela	Aleksandra Kurzak
Frasquita	Daniela Cappiello
Mercédès	Sofia Koberidze
Don Josè	Roberto Alagna
Escamillo	Erwin Schrott
Dancairo	Jan Antem
Remendado	Carlo Bosi
Zuniga	Gabriele Sagona
Morales	Giulio Mastrototaro

starting from 35,00€

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Saturday

12 July 2025

at 21:15

starting from 35,00€

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Show cast

Carmen 12 July 2025 - The Cast: Characters and Artists list
Carmen	Alisa Kolosova
Micaela	Mariangela Sicilia
Frasquita	Daniela Cappiello
Mercédès	Sofia Koberidze
Don Josè	Francesco Meli
Escamillo	Luca Micheletti
Dancairo	Jan Antem
Remendado	Carlo Bosi
Zuniga	Gabriele Sagona
Morales	Giulio Mastrototaro

starting from 35,00€

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Friday

18 July 2025

at 21:15

starting from 35,00€

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Show cast

Carmen 18 July 2025 - The Cast: Characters and Artists list
Carmen	Anita Rachvelishvili
Micaela	Mariangela Sicilia
Frasquita	Daniela Cappiello
Mercédès	Sofia Koberidze
Don Josè	Yusif Eyvazov
Escamillo	Alexander Vinogradov
Dancairo	Jan Antem
Remendado	Carlo Bosi
Zuniga	Gabriele Sagona
Morales	Giulio Mastrototaro

starting from 35,00€

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Saturday

26 July 2025

at 21:15

starting from 35,00€

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Show cast

Carmen 26 July 2025 - The Cast: Characters and Artists list
Carmen	Alisa Kolosova
Micaela	Mariangela Sicilia
Frasquita	Daniela Cappiello
Mercédès	Sofia Koberidze
Don Josè	Yusif Eyvazov
Escamillo	Luca Micheletti
Dancairo	Jan Antem
Remendado	Francesco Pittari
Zuniga	Gabriele Sagona
Morales	Giulio Mastrototaro

starting from 35,00€

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Thursday

14 August 2025

at 21:00

starting from 35,00€

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Show cast

Carmen 14 August 2025 - The Cast: Characters and Artists list
Carmen	Aigul Akhmetshina
Micaela	Mariangela Sicilia
Frasquita	Daniela Cappiello
Mercédès	Sofia Koberidze
Don Josè	Piotr Beczała
Escamillo	Luca Micheletti
Dancairo	Jan Antem
Remendado	Francesco Pittari
Zuniga	Gabriele Sagona
Morales	Giulio Mastrototaro

starting from 35,00€

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Saturday

23 August 2025

at 21:00

starting from 35,00€

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Show cast

Carmen 23 August 2025 - The Cast: Characters and Artists list
Carmen	Aigul Akhmetshina
Micaela	Mariangela Sicilia
Frasquita	Daniela Cappiello
Mercédès	Sofia Koberidze
Don Josè	Francesco Meli
Escamillo	Erwin Schrott
Dancairo	Jan Antem
Remendado	Vincent Ordonneau
Zuniga	Gabriele Sagona
Morales	Giulio Mastrototaro

starting from 35,00€

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Friday

29 August 2025

at 21:00

starting from 35,00€

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Show cast

Carmen 29 August 2025 - The Cast: Characters and Artists list
Carmen	Aigul Akhmetshina
Micaela	Mariangela Sicilia
Frasquita	Daniela Cappiello
Mercédès	Sofia Koberidze
Don Josè	Paolo Lardizzone
Escamillo	Giorgi Manoshvili
Dancairo	Jan Antem
Remendado	Vincent Ordonneau
Zuniga	Gabriele Sagona
Morales	Giulio Mastrototaro

starting from 35,00€

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Wednesday

03 September 2025

at 21:00

starting from 35,00€

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Show cast

Carmen 03 September 2025 - The Cast: Characters and Artists list
Carmen	Aigul Akhmetshina
Micaela	Mariangela Sicilia
Frasquita	Daniela Cappiello
Mercédès	Sofia Koberidze
Don Josè	Vittorio Grigòlo
Escamillo	Giorgi Manoshvili
Dancairo	Jan Antem
Remendado	Vincent Ordonneau
Zuniga	Gabriele Sagona
Morales	Giulio Mastrototaro

starting from 35,00€

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Cast

Direction and set design

Costumes

Lights

Coreografia

Conductor

Francesco Ivan Ciampa

Children's Choir

A.LI.VE.

Conductor

Paolo Facincani

Dance Company

Compañía Antonio Gades

Orchestra, Coro, Ballo e Tecnici

Fondazione Arena di Verona

Chorus Master

Roberto Gabbiani

Dance Company Coordinator

Gaetano Petrosino

Director of stage design

Michele Olcese

Interpreters

Carmen

Aigul Akhmetshina 04/07 14/08 23/08 29/08 03/09

Alisa Kolosova 12/07 26/07

Anita Rachvelishvili 18/07

Micaela

Aleksandra Kurzak 04/07

Mariangela Sicilia 12/07 18/07 26/07 14/08 23/08 29/08 03/09

Frasquita

Daniela Cappiello 04/07 12/07 18/07 26/07 14/08 23/08 29/08 03/09

Mercédès

Sofia Koberidze 04/07 12/07 18/07 26/07 14/08 23/08 29/08 03/09

Don Josè

Roberto Alagna 04/07

Francesco Meli 12/07 23/08

Yusif Eyvazov 18/07 26/07

Piotr Beczała 14/08

Paolo Lardizzone 29/08

Vittorio Grigòlo 03/09

Escamillo

Erwin Schrott 04/07 23/08

Luca Micheletti 12/07 26/07 14/08

Alexander Vinogradov 18/07

Giorgi Manoshvili 29/08 03/09

Dancairo

Jan Antem 04/07 12/07 18/07 26/07 14/08 23/08 29/08 03/09

Remendado

Carlo Bosi 04/07 12/07 18/07

Francesco Pittari 26/07 14/08

Vincent Ordonneau 23/08 29/08 03/09

Zuniga

Gabriele Sagona 04/07 12/07 18/07 26/07 14/08 23/08 29/08 03/09

Morales

Giulio Mastrototaro 04/07 12/07 18/07 26/07 14/08 23/08 29/08 03/09

Plot ACT I

In a square in Seville, the young Micaëla searches for her fiancé, Don José, a corporal of the dragoons, but she leaves before the guard changes and he arrives. Shortly after, the cigarette factory girls emerge from the nearby tobacco factory, among them the captivating gypsy Carmen, who initially expresses doubts about the constancy of love and then teases Don José by tossing him a flower. Micaëla returns with news of his distant mother, but he is now completely drawn to Carmen. When the gypsy is arrested for fighting, she quickly promises Don José a romantic rendezvous in exchange for his help in escaping.

At Lillas Pastia's tavern, Carmen delights in dancing and singing alongside her friends Frasquita and Mercédès. The renowned bullfighter Escamillo makes his entrance, captivated by Carmen's allure. However, Carmen is waiting for Don José (recently released from prison after serving a sentence on her behalf) and also refuses to partake in a smuggling operation with her usual accomplices. Don José arrives and Carmen begins to dance for him, but duty calls when the barracks trumpet sounds, forcing Don José to return. The gypsy mocks him, but the corporal, despite declaring that he loves her, does not want to desert his post. However, a violent confrontation with a superior officer (who has come to court Carmen) later forces Don José to join the smugglers.

In the smugglers' mountain hideout, Carmen and Don José constantly bicker. Meanwhile, Frasquita and Mercédès decide to read their fortunes in the tarot cards. Carmen joins in, but the cards predict death for both her and Don José. Micaëla and Escamillo arrive in the mountains. Micaëla overcomes her fears to win back her beloved, while Escamillo seeks to win Carmen's affections. Don José confronts the bullfighter, but upon learning of his mother's impending death, he has no choice but to follow Micaëla.

In front of the Plaza de Toros, a jubilant crowd welcomes the arrival of the quadrille and Escamillo. Prior to stepping into the arena, Escamillo exchanges love vows with Carmen. However, Carmen remains outside, where she encounters Don José, who pleads for her return. Despite his insistence, Carmen stubbornly refuses, and in a fit of jealousy, Don José tragically ends her life.