World Champions - Italia loves Unesco, Friday, June 5th 2026, 9:15 p.m.
An extraordinary event from the Arena di Verona
to celebrate Italy’s UNESCO primacy as the country with the highest number of World Heritage Sites in the world
to celebrate the UNESCO recognition in 2023 of the art of Opera Singing and in 2025 of Italian Cuisine
to launch the candidacy of the Classic Neapolitan Song as a World Heritage Site
Orchestra and Choir of the Arena di Verona with over 500 artists on stage
First confirmed guests:
PLACIDO DOMINGO, VITTORIO GRIGOLO and rock legend PATTI SMITH
The evening will be produced by Fondazione Arena di Verona with the support of the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry for Sport and Youth, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
TICKETS ON SALE FROM TODAY
A unique, incomparable treasure. With 61 World Heritage Sites, Italy confirms itself as the guardian of an unparalleled cultural wealth and the country with the highest number of recognized sites in the world, now joined by the most recent recognitions awarded in 2023 to the Practice of Opera Singing and in 2025 to Italian Cuisine, the first in the world. Looking ahead to the future as well, with the launch of the UNESCO candidacy of the Classic Neapolitan Song.
The Arena di Verona will host a major national celebration to honor this world record, Friday 5 June at 9.15 pm, broadcast live worldwide on Rai 1 and hosted by Milly Carlucci.
WORLD CHAMPIONS - Italy loves UNESCO will be an unprecedented show with two grand sets dedicated to Opera and Italian Cuisine:
- the Amphitheatre, where a major opera gala will take place, featuring the most significant and celebrated scenes from operas performed by opera stars, accompanied by the Arena Orchestra and Choir, magnificent sets and costumes, and involving five hundred artists including musicians, mimes, dancers and extras;
- Piazza Bra, which will host a great tribute to Italian Cuisine; all stages of preparing a great popular dinner “under the stars” for one thousand people will be represented live through spectacular stage performances.
Great opera artists together with pop and rock stars will take part in the event: among the first confirmed names are Plácido Domingo and Vittorio Grigolo, together with the extraordinary participation of the Priestess of Rock Patti Smith, a great lover of Italian Opera, who will perform a symphonic version of her worldwide hit “Because the Night”, written with Bruce Springsteen.
Throughout the evening, the audience will experience a wonderful story about the historical and cultural value of the Neapolitan song tradition, beginning at the Teatro Filarmonico of Verona, venue of the recent Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies and home to the oldest music academy in Europe, and continuing on the Arena stage: great artists with Neapolitan song in their soul will take part in launching the official candidacy for World Heritage status.
A great celebration which, after the festivities two years ago for the inclusion of Italian Opera Singing in the Register of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, will bring to Verona 100 UNESCO delegates from all over the world.
The event will be produced by Fondazione Arena di Verona, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and in collaboration with: the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Sport.
Tickets are already available on the website www.arena.it, at the Arena box offices and through Vivaticket.
Box Offices
Via Dietro Anfiteatro 6/B, 37121 Verona
Via Roma 1, 37121 Verona
Call center (+39) 045 800 51 51
Vivaticket presale outlets Vivaticket
Information
Press Office Fondazione Arena di Verona
Via Roma 7/D, 37121 Verona - ufficio.stampa@arenadiverona.it
tel. (+39) 045 805.1861-1905-1891-1939 -1847-1942
