Zorba the Greek is ready to get the teatro romano dancing

The final title to debut at the 2026 Festival, the ballet Zorba the Greek arrives at the Teatro Romano in Verona on 25 and 26 August, after seven sold-out performances in recent editions of the Festival. Last chance to see the masterpiece by Mikis Theodorakis, choreographed by Lorca Massine, with two different cast of international dance stars. Next year, ballet will return to the Arena with four performances of Prokofiev’s masterpiece, Romeo and Juliet, in a new production by Fondazione Arena.

Already more than 10,000 audience members across seven sold-out performances, including one added due to popular demand; such is the attendance so far for the Fondazione Arena’s ballet Zorba the Greek, on stage for its final two evenings as part of the 2026 Festival programme. After the single sold-out date in 2023, the double date in 2024 and the four performances in 2025, one of the most beloved ballets of all time is back on 25 and 26 August 2026, thanks to our collaboration with the Municipality of Verona.

Since its world premiere in 1988, created specifically for the Arena, the masterpiece by Mikis Theodorakis (1925-2021) has been seen by millions of people in at least 35 different countries, first setting the Amphitheatre alight and then the whole world with its dances and ode to life. It returned to Verona in 1990, with the first performers of the calibre of Vasiliev, Iancu and Savignano immortalised on film and the composer himself conducting. It was then revived in 2002 and, finally, in the current production being staged at the Teatro Romano, becoming a regular feature of the Opera Festival from 2023.

The two performances on 25 and 26 August will once again feature the Fondazione Arena Arena Dance Troupe, coordinated by Gaetano Petrosino in collaboration with choreographer Anna Kryszkow, and featuring sought-after principal soloists from some of the world’s most prestigious institutions, alternating in two different casts: Davide Buffon, Principal Dancer at the Slovenian National Theatre in Maribor, returns to the title role on 25 August, before taking on the role of his rival Manolios on 26 August to allow Ionuţ-Andrei Diniţă from the Bucharest National Opera to make his debut as Zorba. Taking turns in the role of Marina will be Eleana Andreoudi (25) and Virna Toppi (26), Principal Dancers at the Athens Opera and Teatro alla Scala, respectively, whilst the role of the beloved John sees the debut of Alessandro Casà, Principal Dancer at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo. Also hailing from La Scala in Milan are Principal Dancer Nicola Del Freo (Manolios on 25 August) and Beatrice Carbone, who plays Madame Hortense on both dates. The production features set design by Filippo Tonon, costumes by Silvia Bonetti and lighting by Sergio Toffali. The stalls and the grandstand are already sold out, though tickets are still available for the atmospheric unnumbered terraces, on sale at www.arena.it, at the Arena di Verona box offices and through the Vivaticket network.

Mikis Theodorakis was a Greek composer and a leading figure in politics, civil society and culture. He was imprisoned by the military junta, spent many years in exile and later served as a Member of Parliament and a minister. A prolific creator of symphonies, songs, operas and ballets, he became famous by producing soundtracks for directors such as Cacoyannis, Litvak, Powell, Costa-Gavras and Lumet. His Zorba in Verona was also a symbol of a new era associated with the fall of the Iron Curtain. Even today, this two-act ballet, adapted from the novel by Kazantzakis, represents a hymn to life, discovering one’s other self, overcoming grief and inner strength. In developing the themes of the soundtrack written for the 1964 film of the same name starring Anthony Quinn and Irene Papas, Theodorakis created an entirely new ballet that was choreographed by Lorca Massine, who also supervised the new production that has been conquering international audiences at the Teatro Romano in Verona since 2023.

Zorba the Greek is returning in one of the richest and most varied weeks in the history of the Opera Festival, with seven different productions taking to the stage over eight consecutive days.