Donizetti Opera 2026
International festival dedicated to the famous composer from Bergamo which brings to life the theatres of the ‘City of Gaetano Donizetti’ from November 13 to 29
With a programme dedicated to Donizetti rarities and lesser-performed works, alongside a rich line-up of Donizetti Off events commemorating the thirtieth anniversary of the death of the great Bergamasque conductor Gianandrea Gavazzeni, this twelfth edition of Donizetti Opera is the second for Riccardo Frizza in the dual role of artistic and musical director.
The international festival dedicated to the world-famous Bergamasque composer will be bringing to life the theatres of Gaetano Donizetti’s home town from 13th to 29th November 2026, closing on Donizetti’s dies natalis.
Donizetti Opera 2026 will be presenting, over three consecutive weekends, three new productions: at the Teatro Donizetti, L’esule di Roma (Friday 13th, Saturday 21st, and Sunday, 29th November) and Le convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali (Sunday 15th, Friday 20th, and Saturday, 28th November), and at the Teatro Sociale, in Upper Bergamo, Alahor in Granata (Saturday 14th, Sunday 22nd, and Friday, 27th November), presented in the new critical edition of the autograph score found in Palermo in 2023.
Each opera will debut with an Under 30 Preview (Tuesday 10th, Wednesday 11th, and Thursday, 12th November), keeping up the tradition of giving hundreds of young people the opportunity to be the first to enjoy the festival's new productions at a special price.
The Donizetti Opera festival will host renowned performers such as Lidia Fridman, Sergey Romanovsky, Luca Pisaroni, Grisha Martirosyan, Dave Monaco, Mira Alkhovik, Laura Verrecchia, and Paolo Bordogna, alongside rising artists like students from the Bottega Donizetti. On the podium, Antonino Fogliani, Chiara Cattani, and Alberto Zanardi. The productions are directed by Katharina Thoma, Benedetto Sicca Papa, and Silvia Paoli.
By airplane: via Milan Bergamo International Airport (Orio al Serio), located approximately 3 miles from the city centre. There are shuttle bus services like ATB bus line 1.
By train: from the Bergamo station reach the Teatro Donizetti on foot, or by buses on urban public transport (the stop is Porta Nuova), or reach the Teatro Sociale in 15 minutes by urban public transport Line 1 buses (the stop is Colle Aperto, then it is less than a 10-minute walk).
By car: to the Teatro Donizetti follow the signs to the city centre, once at Porta Nuova leave the car in the underground parking lots (Piazza della Libertà or Via Borfuro). For the Teatro Sociale take the Line 1 bus to Città Alta or continue by car and park in the paid parking lots within the city walls.
In the proximity of the Teatro Donizetti there are hotels, bed and breakfasts, and apartment rentals; it is best to book the accommodation in advance during the festival period.
Bergamo is rich in art and culture. Bergamo Alta (Upper Bergamo, the historic heart of the city) features the Teatro Sociale, the Gaetano Donizetti’s Casa Natale (the composer's birthplace), Piazza Duomo with the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Piazza Vecchia, and the Rocca di Bergamo fortress, as well as numerous museums such as the Museo delle Storie di Bergamo (history museum) and the Biblioteca Angelo Mai (historical library).
The Teatro Donizetti (located in lower Bergamo) and the Teatro Sociale (located in the Città Alta, the Upper City) are places full of interest and rich in history. These theatres are usually open to the public during performances or on guided tours. For performances at Teatro Sociale, the Fondazione Teatro Donizetti and ATB are offering a shuttle service to Città Alta and return. Alternatively, for the regular public transportation, presenting the ATB staff with the entrance ticket for the festival taking place at Teatro Sociale will provide free access to ATB public transportation (including funicular), exclusively on the urban service lines, to and from Città Alta on show/concert days, starting 2 hours before the beginning of the show/concert and up to 1 hour after leaving the theatre.
Elegant attire is kindly recommended, especially for opera premieres.
The Teatro Donizetti has a bar open during performances, offering also a drink dedicated to the festival. Bergamo, both near the Centro Piacentiniano along the so-called “Sentierone” (in the lower town) and in the historic and charming Upper Town, offers many venues, so there is a wide choice to suit all tastes.
