Anna Netrebko is starring as Aida, the arena has been sold out for days and she has announced her return in 2027 for three performances
Tickets for the performance of Aida on Sunday 30 August – Anna Netrebko’s only 2026 date at the Arena, where she will appear alongside Eyvazov, Margaine and Tézier in Zeffirelli’s production – have been sold out for days
The great soprano has announced, a year in advance, the dates for her return for the 2027 Festival: two performances of Aida (in the 1913 and Poda productions) and a single performance as Abigaille in Nabucco
Sunday 30 August promises to be one of the most eagerly awaited evenings of 2026. Aida, in the production created and designed by Franco Zeffirelli, portrayed by one of her most celebrated interpreters: Anna Netrebko, in her sole Arena performance at this year’s Festival. And the soprano, a true star of the opera world, has already set the date for her return to the Arena audience next year, to bring Verdi’s heroines to life: 7, 12 and 15 August. Aida, in two different productions, and Nabucco. Three evenings, three different productions. Tickets are already available.
Anna Netrebko’s first encounter with the Arena di Verona took place in 2019, with three memorable performances of Verdi’s Il Trovatore, and an instant connection was forged between her and the vast international audience within the Amphitheatre. She has returned every year since in highly anticipated productions and concerts, bringing to life Tosca, Adina, Elisabetta, Maddalena, Adriana, Violetta, Turandot, Abigaille (in both cases, for the first time in Italy) and, of course, Aida. And, at this 2026 Festival, she is returning as Aida for a single performance on Sunday 30 August, in Zeffirelli’s golden production. The Arena has been sold out for days and there is still great demand for tickets.
To renew her unique connection with the Arena audience, Anna Netrebko has announced her return to the Arena in 2027 a whole year in advance, for three unmissable performances at the 104th Festival. These three dates also represent a demanding artistic challenge, as the great soprano will take to the immense stage under the stars in three different performances over the course of eight days: on Saturday 7 August, she will be appearing as Aida in the historic 1913 production curated by Gianfranco de Bosio, which recreates the opera’s very first night at the Arena; on Thursday 12 August, she will once again play Aida, but in Stefano Poda’s ‘crystal’ production, with which Netrebko herself opened the 100th Festival in 2023 live on television; lastly, on Sunday 15 August, she will portray Abigaille in Nabucco – a titanic role and the true villain of Verdi’s great choral drama, reinterpreted in the Amphitheatre once again by the visionary genius of Stefano Poda. Tickets for these performances and for the entire 2027 Festival are already on sale from the Arena’s box offices, on the website www.arena.it and through the Vivaticket network.
In the meantime, on Sunday 30 August 2026, Anna Netrebko will perform the role of Aida alongside other distinguished colleagues, including Yusif Eyvazov as Radames, Clémentine Margaine as Princess Amneris, Ludovic Tézier as Amonasro (the Ethiopian king and Aida’s father) and Gianluca Buratto as the high priest Ramfis. Rounding out the cast are Mariano Buccino as the Egyptian King, Francesca Maionchi as the Priestess and Riccardo Rados as the Messenger. The Fondazione Arena Orchestra and Chorus will be conducted by Francesco Ommassini. On stage, hundreds of mimes, extras and members of the Arena Ballet will perform in choreography by Vladimir Vasiliev, featuring Tea Bajc and the principal dancers of the Teatro alla Scala, Virna Toppi and Nicola Del Freo. A golden atmosphere, a grand pyramid creating different settings, multicoloured stones and precious fabrics come together in an enchanting Ancient Egypt, with a cast of opera stars also featuring in the final performances on 4 and 10 September.
The 2026 Arena di Verona Opera Festival relies on the support of numerous sponsors, first and foremost its Main Partner UniCredit – a collaboration that has flourished for over thirty years – and Premium Partners Calzedonia and Pastificio Rana. Further support comes from Volkswagen Group Italia, DB Bahn, Forno Bonomi, Genny, RTL 102.5 and Müller, which funds accessibility projects for people with disabilities. Magis is returning as the Festival’s Green Energy Partner and Generali as Education Partner. Official partners include historic brands such as Veronafiere, Air Dolomiti, A4 Holding, SABA Italia, SDG Group, Sartori di Verona, Palazzo Maffei and Mantova Village, as well as Manpower Group, Ferroli and the Consorzio di Tutela dell’Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP. New arrivals for 2026 include Nardi Outdoor as an official partner and Major Partner Vivaticket. In addition to companies and private individuals, the partners also include the professional associations that form part of 67 Colonne per l'Arena di Verona, founded by Gianluca Rana of the pasta company of the same name and Sandro Veronesi, patron of the Oniverse Group.
