“La Traviata” 2026: Arena Meets Moulin Rouge
The New 2026 Production
La Traviata will open the 103rd Arena di Verona Opera Festival with a new production that, for the first time in the Arena’s history, will bring one of the most iconic institutions of the French capital to Verona: the Moulin Rouge.
An unprecedented collaboration; a declaration of love for opera and for Paris, Violetta’s city.
The Production
An original and visually striking interpretation transports the audience to early 20th-century Paris, a hub of artistic and intellectual ferment where Violetta Valéry emerges as an intelligent, refined, and beautiful protagonist, thrust into the spotlight of gossip and public opinion.
On the immense stage of the Arena di Verona, with an accurate historical reconstruction that does not sacrifice spectacle, the nightlife of Montmartre and the splendors of Paris’s Belle Époque will come to life, right where, in the early 1900s, the popularity of the Moulin Rouge—the cradle of cabaret and the can-can—exploded.
An iconic venue that vanished in flames in 1915, before rising again to become the theater that still combines entertainment with historical charm and which, for the first time, proudly collaborates with an opera and symphony foundation.
The set design is by Juan Guillermo Nova, the costumes by Stefano Ciammitti—creator of the visionary outfits for the Olympic ceremonies at the Arena—and the lighting by Fabio Barettin.
Director Paul Curran
The production is directed by Paul Curran, who will make his Arena debut with this new production.
Now an opera director, he previously collaborated with Baz Luhrmann during the early stages of production on the musical film Moulin Rouge!, which celebrated the 25th anniversary of its theatrical release in recent weeks.
A Scot with a background in dance, former artistic director of the Norwegian National Opera, and an acclaimed opera director worldwide, he makes his Arena debut with this production.
A meta-theatrical and meta-cinematic reference: just as the musical drew heavily on Verdi’s story with influences from Puccini’s La Bohème, the new opera production of the 2026 Festival cannot help but evoke the timeless love sung in the film through various musical genres.
The Cast
A double premiere (June 12 and 13), followed by eleven performances leading up to the Festival’s closing night on September 12. La Traviata will star the young Martina Russomanno (June 12 and 20, July 5 and 9), a debutante at the Arena who has won several awards in various international competitions, followed by two sopranos already acclaimed in the Amphitheater as Violetta Valéry: Gilda Fiume (June 13 and 27) and Rosa Feola (starting August 6). Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, who has already proven herself in demanding roles ranging from Rossini to Norma, will make her debut as the lead in La Traviata on July 16 and 31.
True Arena favorites will take on the role of the beloved Alfredo: Yusif Eyvazov (making his Arena debut in this role), Galeano Salas, Francesco Meli, René Barbera, Enea Scala, and tenors Antonio Poli and Adam Smith, making their debuts at the Amphitheater.
Equally well-known are the highly sought-after baritones who will take turns portraying Germont Senior: Amartuvshin Enkhbat, Youngjun Park, Ludovic Tézier, Luca Salsi, and the young Mihai Damian, recent winner of Operalia 2025, making his Arena debut. Established artists and emerging young talents will round out the cast in first-rate supporting roles.
At the helm of the Fondazione Arena’s artistic ensembles is Michele Spotti, Music Director of the Marseille Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra, appointed Principal Guest Conductor at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and a “Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” by the French Ministry of Culture—one of the highest honors bestowed upon individuals who have distinguished themselves in artistic creation and dissemination.
Conducting the final three performances is Francesco Ivan Ciampa, another maestro who is among the most prominent figures in European opera seasons.
"La Traviata" 2026
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