About the Macerata Opera Festival (Sferisterio Festival)

Macerata Opera Festival Sferisterio started in 1992 and since it is held continually from late July to mid-August (various dates). The festival takes place in the city of Macerata which is located in central Italy. Most of the events take place in the “Sferisterio Arena” but some are held in “Teatro Lauro Rossi” in the city. This marvelous opera festival hosts yearly thousands of spectators in the Sferisterio open air 2,500 seat neoclassical arena.

In 1967, a permanent local theatre troupe was organized in Macerata, and soon Giuseppe Verdi's Othello, Giacomo Puccini's Madame butterfly were staged on the stage of the Spheristeria, the main roles in which famous Italian Opera singers performed. That Opera season, which began on August 3, soon turned into a Summer Opera festival.

During the existence of the festival Sferisterio was placed the most famous operas of different eras, sounded the most prominent voices of Bel Canto: Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Montserrat caballé, Marilyn Horne, Ruggero Raimondi, Mariella of Devia, Jose Carreras and many others.

The Sferisterio in Macerata was inaugurated in 1829 as the arena for the ball with bracelet game, that was very famous in the 1800’s. It hosted also public shows and feasts, jousts, horse parades, political and sports events, bull hunting and circus.

In 1921, for the initiative of Count Pier Alberto Conti, the first opera debuts at Sferisterio. It was Aida by Giuseppe Verdi, and it has been played for 17 evenings and seen by 70000 opera lovers.

Thanks to its 2500 seats and 104 stages, excellent visibility, a great natural acoustic and a very big stage, Sferisterio is nowadays one of the most prestigious and appreciated open-air theatres in Italy.
Many artists performed on its stage such as Mario Del Monaco, Luciano Pavarotti, Katia Ricciarelli, Renato Bruson, Montserrat Caballé, Placido Domingo. Also, some settings entered in the history like the famous Traviata degli Specchi by Maestro Josef Svoboda in 1992 and the unforgettable Bohème by Ken Russel in 1984.