It happens like this: you open the calendar to check your anniversary date and realise you booked the romantic dinner first, then the opera tickets, and finally the vegan restaurant — which happens to be closed on Thursdays. Your wife hasn't seen any of it yet. You still have an hour. Breathe, and follow this order.
First, the Arena tickets: because they sell out before anything else
The 103rd Arena di Verona Opera Festival 2026 is the longest in the festival's history: dal 5 giugno al 12 settembre andranno in scena 53 serate tra opera, concerti e danza. Many evenings, yes — but the good seats go fast. The headline title of the season is the new production of Verdi's La Traviata, directed by Scottish director Paul Curran, who transports the audience to Belle Époque Paris in collaboration with the Moulin Rouge. If you want something more intimate, La Bohème returns to the Arena directed by Alfonso Signorini — and it is perfect for an anniversary.
Where to buy tickets: the official website is arena.it, or through the Vivaticket network. Per acquistare i biglietti del Festival 2026 è necessario registrarsi di nuovo, anche se si è già acquistato in passato. Do it now: this is the step most people put off, and then find only side seats left. Per i giovani under 30, grazie a UniCredit è disponibile una selezione di posti di platea a 30 euro per date selezionate, escluse prime e sabati.
Local tip: avoid the premieres on 12 and 13 giugno — higher prices and a more formal crowd. A mid-luglio evening, with a clear sky and still-summery temperatures, is the best option for those who want romance without stress.
Then the vegan restaurant — and watch out for closing days
Verona has a more established vegan scene than you might expect. The long-standing reference point in the centre is La Lanterna, a tre minuti a piedi dall'Arena, in Piazzetta Portichetti 6. The menu is entirely vegan with reinvented classic Italian recipes, such as carbonara and tiramisù — and the vegan tiramisù here divides opinions, in the best possible way. La prenotazione è consigliata.
If you want something closer to the Arena and also oriented towards a gluten-free as well as vegan diet, Flora si trova in Stradone Scipione Maffei 8C: a pranzo propone una formula buffet a peso, a cena il menu è alla carta. Both restaurants are within 10 minutes' walk of Piazza Bra, making them perfect either as a pre-opera dinner or as an alternative dinner for couples with different tastes.
The right logic: book the vegan restaurant immediately after confirming your Arena ticket date, not before. Align the timings — performances at the Arena usually begin at 21:15, so dinner should be booked no later than 19:00 to be at Piazza Bra by 20:45.
Finally, the "romantic" anniversary dinner — and where not to go wrong
The third booking is the one that can wait the longest — but not too long. Verona has restaurants with terraces that fill up weeks in advance on Festival evenings. If the vegan evening is already covered and you want a separate anniversary dinner — perhaps the day before or after the opera — the local advice is to go for venues with a view or outdoor seating in the historic centre, away from the crowds of Piazza Bra.
A practical note for those staying in the centre: being based near the Arena means having everything within an evening stroll. No taxi to book, no ZTL restrictions to worry about, no working out who's driving. You walk home with the finale of Aida still ringing in your head.
Can you buy Arena tickets on the day?
Technically yes, at the physical box offices. But for the 2026 Festival — the longest in history with 53 evenings — the most sought-after dates sell out weeks in advance online. Better to buy on arena.it as soon as your date is confirmed.
Does La Lanterna take bookings for group dinners or anniversaries?
Yes, a phone booking is recommended on 045 594929. The restaurant is small and warm, suited to intimate evenings — it is not a place for 20 noisy covers.
How much time do you need between dinner and entering the Arena?
Allow at least 45 minutes between the end of dinner and the start of the performance. The Arena gates open around 90 minutes before curtain up. For numbered stalls seats, 30 minutes' lead time is sufficient.
For your stay in Verona, The Verona Stay has apartments in Via Roma 21 — less than 5 minutes' walk from the Arena and the restaurants of the historic centre. No taxi bookings, no last-minute rush. Just Verona, seen from your own window.