It happens on every work trip: your calendar says you fly out Thursday, but Thursday evening there's something on at the Arena. And Friday morning, for once, there's no nine o'clock meeting. It's in that window — short, free, unexpected — that Verona reveals the three faces that no expense report ever quite knows how to categorise.
The Arena di Verona tonight: what's on in 2026
The 103rd Arena di Verona Opera Festival brings 50 performances of opera, ballet and symphonic music to the stage, running from 12 June to 12 September 2026. The opening is a double bill featuring a new production of La Traviata, while the programme includes two distinct stagings of Aida and the long-awaited return of Turandot in the legendary version directed by Zeffirelli, marking 100 years since its world premiere.
All 50 evenings span opera, ballet and live music at the highest level. The stage will welcome leading figures from the international scene, including Anna Netrebko, Lisette Oropesa, Roberto Alagna, Luca Salsi and Ludovic Tézier. This is not folklore: it is one of the largest and most acoustically natural open-air stages on the planet, carved out by the Romans in the first century AD.
Among the highlight evenings, Roberto Bolle and Friends returns on 21 July, and Orff's Carmina Burana takes the stage on 13 August, conducted by Maestro James Conlon — making his debut with the Arena's ensembles — with Erin Morley and Carlo Vistoli.
Confirmed pop and rock concerts include The Lumineers on 6 July and the immersive event Viva Vivaldi – The Four Seasons on 19 August. Curtain is usually at 21:15 in June and July, and at 21:00 from August onwards. A local tip: buy a numbered terraced seat — it costs less, the sightline is unobstructed, and the acoustics are identical to the stalls below.
Soave Classico and Lessinia: the next day, out of town
From central Verona to Soave is roughly 25 kilometres heading east: half an hour by car along the A4 motorway, exiting at Soave-San Bonifacio. The medieval village welcomes you with Scaligero walls built in 1369 on the orders of Cansignorio della Scala, which descend from the castle and wrap entirely around the historic centre.
One distinction worth knowing before you order: the designation "Soave Classico" is reserved for wines produced in the municipalities of Soave and Monteforte d'Alpone, within the historic zone — a useful distinction when choosing between a young, fresh Soave and more refined versions that express a mineral streak and spiced notes.
The reason for that minerality lies in the soil: the volcanic, mineral-rich terrain gives these wines their characteristic freshness and mineral quality, making them instantly recognisable. The tuffaceous and basaltic ground, combined with a microclimate marked by significant day-to-night temperature swings, creates ideal conditions for Garganega, the native grape variety at the heart of Soave. Locals call it tovo in dialect — this black basaltic stone that surfaces between the vine rows.
For a cellar tasting — always better to book 24 hours ahead — the standard format includes 3–4 wines (Soave DOC, Soave Classico, sometimes a Recioto) with a wine explanation and cellar tour. Average prices run between 10 and 20 euros per person; more complete experiences, with local products such as cured meats and Monte Veronese DOP, reach 20–30 euros.
After the glass, the road climbs toward Lessinia. The classic Soave zone sits right among the hills at the foot of the Monti Lessini — and from there, as you gain altitude, the landscape shifts register: vineyards give way to pastures, wild cherry trees and limestone ridges. Those who want a wider stretch of open air can walk the Vecia Via della Lana, roughly 48 kilometres along the ancient route by which raw wool was brought down from the mountains to the plain. Today the trail is used by hikers, cyclists and riders, and can be broken into stages. Even an hour's walk along the edge of the plateau gives back a silence that the Arena, wonderfully, cannot offer.
How much time do you need?
For Soave village alone, with a visit to the Castello and a stop at a wine shop: 2–3 hours. Add a cellar visit: half a day. Head up into Lessinia and return to Verona for dinner: a full day, perfectly timed before the following morning's flight.
How do you reach Soave from Verona without a car?
There is an interurban bus service on the Verona–San Bonifacio line, with a stop in Soave [⚠ VERIFY current timetables with local VR transport services]. Alternatively, many wine tour operators departing from Verona offer pick-up from the historic centre included in the tour price.
Can you visit the Arena di Verona during the day?
Yes: the Arena di Verona is one of the most breathtaking open-air theatres in Italy and can be visited as a monument during the morning hours, when there are no rehearsals or stage setups underway. The entrance ticket lets you walk the internal terracing and read the monument from the inside — a perspective entirely different from the one you get at an evening performance.
To stay within a few steps of the Arena and reach the theatre on foot in under five minutes, The Verona Stay Arena is located in Via Roma 21 — when you return from the show, Piazza Bra is still lit up and the centre of Verona is waiting for one last glass.