Jonas Kaufmann returns to the Arena with an 'event' concert on Sunday 3 August 2025

On Sunday 3 August, Jonas Kaufmann will be back at the Arena. On one night only, come and enjoy a unique event – a thrilling concert featuring the music of Wagner and Puccini. The ‘King of Tenors’ is returning to the Opera Festival, ready to thrill an international audience in the ancient amphitheatre. A special guest will appear alongside Jonas – the soprano Marina Rebeka – while maestro Jochen Rieder will take the baton to conduct the Fondazione Arena Orchestra.

Overtures, arias, intermezzi, scenes and duets. This concert will feature some of the most beautiful pieces from operas by Richard Wagner and Giacomo Puccini, some of which have not echoed among the ancient stones of the Arena for decades. On Sunday 3 August, at 9:15 p.m., a truly exceptional singer will appear on stage to portray some of opera’s greatest heroes (and one or two villains) – Jonas Kaufmann. This world-famous tenor has appeared at the Arena every year since 2021, to be greeted every time by sell-out crowds.

The Jonas Kaufmann in Opera concert will showcase the two souls of the Bavarian tenor, the repertoires through which he has garnered the most acclaim in recent years, becoming a true standard bearer: German opera, here represented by some of the most iconic pieces from the works of Wagner, and Italian opera, featuring the magic of Puccini during the second half of the evening.

It was Wagner who first summoned him to the Arena, during the 2021 gala that ended with seven encores, and he is returning with a first, the song of Walther from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, with which he wins Eva's heart and the title of Master Singer (never before performed in Verona in its original German), along with the touching final monologue from Lohengrin. In addition to the preludes of their respective operas, the famous aria Dich teure Halle from Tannhäuser will be performed by Marina Rebeka, a soprano who is returning to the Arena after successfully bringing Norma back to La Scala almost fifty years after the previous performances.

Rebeka and Kaufmann will sing together in the passionate duet from Act II of Manon Lescaut, where Puccini’s heroine is reunited with her beloved Des Grieux (the only previous time this has been heard at the arena was Domingo with Magda Olivero in 1970). The symphonic intermezzi of Manon Lescaut and Madama Butterfly will be followed by some of the most beautiful pages that Puccini entrusted to Pinkerton, who seduces and abandons the protagonist of Butterfly: Adio fiorito asil, along with the love duet that concludes Act I of the opera, the largest and most complicated piece (as well as perhaps the most beautiful) that the genius from Lucca ever wrote for tenor and soprano.

Tickets for the show – a one-off exceptional event – can be purchased at arena.it, through the social media channels of the Arena di Verona, from Ticketone and from the Arena Central Ticket Office. There are special reductions for under-30s and over-65s.

The 2025 Arena di Verona Opera Festival is supported by numerous sponsors, first and foremost UniCredit, whose partnership with the Festival goes back over 25 years. Other sponsors include Calzedonia, Pastificio Rana, Volkswagen Group Italia, DB Bahn, Forno Bonomi, Numia, RTL 102.5, Genny - providers of the uniforms worn by the staff that welcome the public - and Müller, which supports accessibility projects for people with disabilities. Official partners include historic brands such as Veronafiere, Air Dolomiti, A4 Holding, Metinvest, SABA Italia, SDG Group, Sartori di Verona, Palazzo Maffei and Mantova Village. Also on board are Caviar Service, ManPower Group, Consorzio di Tutela dell’Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP and Ferroli. 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, with Gruppo Editoriale Athesis as media partner.