Fondazione Arena increases the number of accessible dates for 2026: 26 inclusive evenings and 19 multi-sensory experiences

Fondazione Arena opens bookings for the 2026 ‘accessible’ dates. And 150 bookings were made in just one week. Arena per Tutti, the largest inclusive project in Europe, is preparing for a record-breaking fourth edition. Given the starting numbers and the great success of the pre-opera events, which introduce audiences with disabilities to the show, backstage work and singing technique, there will now be more evenings than were announced during the autumn. Next summer there will be 26 accessible performances and 19 multi-sensory experience dates, spread over the three months of the festival on the occasion of the staging of Nabucco, the new production of La Traviata, Aida (Zeffirelli staging) and Turandot.

The project, which was established and has grown thanks to the support of Müller Italia, has crossed national borders in recent days. On Friday 5 December, Fondazione Arena attended the Shaping Tourism for Thriving Places and People international conference, held at the Croatian Ministry of Tourism, in Zagreb. During the day, Elena Di Giovanni, scientific coordinator of the project, presented the three-year activities plan and the 2025 results: 3,993 people with disabilities were able to experience the magic of the Opera between June and September. 1,426 of these enjoyed the experience through multisensory technologies and itineraries. The third edition recorded +42% total attendance (in 2024, there had been 1,002 attendees), and +296% foreign spectators.

Also for 2026, those who sign up will be able to participate in the free multi-sensory experiences a few hours before the opera begins. They will be accompanied on stage and behind the scenes and will be able to explore the sets, costumes, props, spaces and musical instruments, guided by the stage staff and the skilled artisans that have curated the performances down to the finest of details in the Fondazione Arena workshops. And they will also discover the world of singing thanks to the artists of the Fondazione Arena Choir. Similarly, before the show begins, they will be able to enjoy accessible trailers (in Italian, English and German, with subtitles and voice-overs, Italian, international and German sign language translations and image descriptions) and electronic libretti, all in three languages (Italian, English and German), while during the opera, live audio descriptions of the show will be provided, together with subtitles for the deaf, here again available in three languages.

The digital libretti are highly inclusive tools that, by replicating the graphics and structure of classic printed opera libretti (with synopsis, director's notes, photos and information on performances), can offer simplified texts with editable and enlargeable fonts, images and scene sketches with audio description (for the blind and visually impaired) as well as texts translated into Italian sign language. The opera libretti will be available in English, with international sign language translation. In addition, there are the Easy-To-Read fact sheets in Italian, English and German, which conform to European Union standards. In the front rows of the stalls, over 2,000 seats will be reserved for people with disabilities and their companions.

For bookings and information, send an e-mail to inclusione@arenadiverona.it or visit the website https://www.arena.it/arena-opera-festival/arena-per-tutti.