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The Festival Verdi is run by the Teatro Regio di Parma and stages Verdi's operas in Parma and in Busseto each autumn. The 26th edition, in 2026, runs from 1 to 25 October under the theme 'Mondi lontani', distant worlds.
Below: the dates, the operas and where they play, Aida in Busseto, how to buy tickets, where to stay, what else to see in Parma and how to pair a performance with Verdi's birthplace.
The quick answer
The Festival Verdi 2026 runs from 1 to 25 October. At the Teatro Regio di Parma: Alzira, conducted by James Conlon, from 1 October, and a new Nabucco on 3, 11, 18 and 24 October; in Busseto's Teatro Verdi, Aida in Franco Zeffirelli's production on 2, 9, 16 and 25 October. The Gala Verdiano is on 10 October, Verdi's birthday, and the Messa da Requiem on 23 October. Tickets are sold by the Teatro Regio, at teatroregioparma.it.
When is the Festival Verdi 2026?
From 1 to 25 October 2026, in Parma and Busseto. It is the 26th edition, and its theme is 'Mondi lontani', distant worlds.
October suits Verdi country: the heat has gone, the fogs of the plain are just beginning, and Verdi's birthday falls on the 10th. In 2026 no festival performance falls on a Monday, the day the Verdi sites near Busseto close.
What operas are on at the Festival Verdi 2026?
Alzira and a new Nabucco at the Teatro Regio di Parma, Aida at the Teatro Verdi in Busseto, a Verdi Gala and the Messa da Requiem.
Dates and conductors as published in the festival press in September 2026; check teatroregioparma.it for times and any changes. Sources differ on the Alzira dates after 17 October.
| Work | Venue | Dates | Conductor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alzira | Teatro Regio, Parma | 1, 8, 17 October | James Conlon |
| Aida | Teatro Verdi, Busseto | 2, 9, 16, 25 October | Giuseppe Mengoli |
| Nabucco (new production, Pier Luigi Pizzi) | Teatro Regio, Parma | 3, 11, 18, 24 October | Francesco Lanzillotta |
| Gala Verdiano | Teatro Regio, Parma | 10 October | James Conlon |
| Messa da Requiem | Teatro Regio, Parma | 23 October | Daniele Rustioni |
What is Aida in Busseto like?
Aida in Franco Zeffirelli's 2001 production, fitted onto the stage of a theatre of about 300 seats, conducted by Giuseppe Mengoli.
The Teatro Verdi opened in 1868, inside the Rocca Pallavicino in Piazza Verdi; Verdi opposed the project and never attended. Hearing his music in a hall this small is the festival's most intimate experience. With so few seats, book early. Outside festival time, the theatre is open for guided visits of about 30 minutes, Tuesday to Sunday: see Busseto in a day.
See Busseto's theatre by daylight too: a day from Parma with culatello and the Teatro Verdi on option A.
Check dates for the culatello and Teatro Verdi dayHow do you buy Festival Verdi tickets?
From the Teatro Regio di Parma, which runs the festival: online at teatroregioparma.it or at the theatre's box office.
None of the tours on this site include festival tickets. Buy your seats first, then plan the rest of your days around them. For Busseto, remember that the performances are in the evening in a small town: check how you will get back to Parma before you book.
Where should you stay for the Festival Verdi?
In Parma: it has the Teatro Regio, most of the hotels and restaurants, and trains to Busseto via Fidenza, about 20 minutes on the branch line.
For Aida in Busseto, a car or a taxi gives you the most freedom after the curtain falls; if you go by train, check the last connection from Busseto to Fidenza for your date, or stay a night in Busseto. Directions: how to get to Busseto.
What else is there for opera lovers in Parma?
The Teatro Regio itself on a guided visit, the Teatro Farnese in the Pilotta, and Toscanini's birthplace in the Oltretorrente district.
Guided visits of the Teatro Regio last about 30 minutes and cost EUR 12 (EUR 8 reduced, EUR 3 under 18), according to Parma Welcome; times change with rehearsals, and more so during the festival. The Teatro Farnese, the great wooden theatre of 1618, is seen on the EUR 18 Pilotta ticket, and Toscanini's birthplace is a civic museum with a EUR 4 ticket.
Parma's opera story on foot with a licensed guide, in Italian: the Teatro Farnese, Toscanini's birthplace, the Regio and the Verdi monument.
Explore the musical Parma walkCan you pair the festival with Verdi's birthplace?
Easily: spend a festival morning at Roncole and Busseto, 5 km apart, and hear Aida in the evening. The birthplace costs EUR 6, or EUR 15 with the Teatro Verdi and Casa Barezzi.
The birthplace opens Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30 to 13:00 and 14:30 to 18:00. On 10 October, Verdi's birthday, you could visit the house where he was born in the morning and hear the Gala in Parma at night. Tickets and hours: the birthplace guide.
A festival day off? Culatello, Parmigiano and Busseto's Teatro Verdi on one day from Parma, with free cancellation.
Check dates for the culatello and Teatro Verdi dayWhat is the musical Parma walk like?
A guided walk through Parma's opera story: the Teatro Farnese and Toscanini's birthplace inside, the Teatro Regio from outside, and the monument to Verdi in Piazzale della Pace.
The musical Parma walk costs $23 and is listed at 1 hour 30 minutes, though its description says 2 hours. It meets in front of the main staircase of the Palazzo della Pilotta, is led by a licensed guide from Italia in Tour, follows a barrier-free route and cancels free up to 24 hours before. It is new, with no reviews yet, and it is guided in Italian. The listing includes the guide only, so check whether the Pilotta and Toscanini tickets are extra.
Between performances, walk Parma's opera story with a licensed guide in Italian, from $23 with free cancellation.
Check dates for the musical Parma walkFrequently asked questions
When is the Festival Verdi 2026?
From 1 to 25 October 2026, at the Teatro Regio di Parma and the Teatro Verdi in Busseto.
What is on at the Festival Verdi 2026?
Alzira and a new Nabucco in Parma, Aida in Zeffirelli's production in Busseto, the Gala Verdiano on 10 October and the Messa da Requiem on 23 October.
Where do I buy Festival Verdi tickets?
From the Teatro Regio di Parma, online at teatroregioparma.it or at the box office.
How do I get from Parma to Busseto for a performance?
By car, or by train to Fidenza and the branch line to Busseto, about 20 minutes; check the last train back.
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Choose your day
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Musical and Theatrical Parma Walking Tour
- Guided walk in Italian with a licensed local guide
- Teatro Farnese and Toscanini's birthplace inside; Teatro Regio from outside
- The monument to Giuseppe Verdi
Parmigiano, Culatello and Busseto's Teatro Verdi
- Transfer from and to Parma
- Parmigiano Reggiano dairy with a plate of anolini in brodo
- Culatello di Zibello production visit and tasting at the Mulino Dallatana
