Live opera · Taormina
Professional singers and a pianist perform famous arias and duets in a small Taormina theatre, with Prosecco on the terrace.
Likely to sell out: a small theatre, so you hear every voice close up.
The evening in numbers
Reasons to go
The organiser describes the Teatro Nazarena as an intimate setting, where the size of the room creates a direct link between audience and artists. Professional singers perform with a pianist beside them, so you hear the voice as it carries, not as a recording.
The programme draws on Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, Donizetti and Rossini. It is built from the best-known arias and duets of the Italian repertoire, so you can arrive knowing no opera and still recognise a tune.
The evening is held in the Teatro Nazarena on Via Fontana Vecchia, a theatre in the town. It is a separate place from Taormina's ancient theatre, the Greek and Roman ruin on the hill, and the two are easy to mix up.
The bill, composer by composer
Five composers are named for the evening. Each wrote arias that listeners know before they know the operas, and the notes below set out where the best-known ones come from.
Nothing is guaranteed for a given night. The organiser chooses the programme for your date.
Le nozze di Figaro, with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienna on 1 May 1786. Figaro's Non più andrai and Cherubino's Voi che sapete are two of its best-known numbers.
Il barbiere di Siviglia first played at the Teatro Argentina in Rome on 20 February 1816. Figaro's entrance song, Largo al factotum della città, comes from it.
L'elisir d'amore premiered at the Teatro della Canobbiana in Milan on 12 May 1832. Donizetti inserted the tenor romanza Una furtiva lagrima, which has a long performance history in the concert hall.
Rigoletto premiered at La Fenice in Venice on 11 March 1851, and its tenor aria La donna è mobile was sung in the streets the next morning. La traviata followed there on 6 March 1853, with the drinking song Libiamo ne' lieti calici.
Tosca premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900 and contains Vissi d'arte. Madama Butterfly, first given at La Scala in Milan on 17 February 1904, holds the soprano aria Un bel dì, vedremo.
The theatre and its terrace
The evening takes place at Via Fontana Vecchia 3, in the centre of Taormina. Photographs on this site show the town and its ancient theatre; none shows the Nazarena itself.
The ancient theatre with Mount Etna behind, the bay at night, the cathedral square, the main street, Piazza IX Aprile and the ruins above the coast.
Where this sits among the options
| Option | What you get | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Opera at the Teatro Nazarena | About 1.5 hours of arias and duets by professional singers with piano, in a small theatre, with a glass of Prosecco on the terrace. The GetYourGuide ticket can be cancelled a day ahead for a full refund, or reserved now and paid for later. | Anyone who wants an evening of opera in Taormina itself, whether or not they know the repertoire. |
| The ancient theatre of Taormina | A Hellenistic theatre rebuilt under Roman rule, with Mount Etna in the view on a clear day. It is a monument to visit; any performance there is a separate event with its own tickets. | Visitors who want the ruin and the view more than the music. |
| Teatro Massimo in Palermo | A full opera house, the biggest in Italy, with its own company and productions. It means a separate trip to Palermo and a separate booking. | Opera lovers who are crossing Sicily and want a full staged production. |
Book the opera evening
Open the card for the evenings on sale; more things to book in Taormina follow below it.
About 1.5 hours of arias and duets by professional singers with piano, in a small theatre, with a glass of Prosecco on the terrace. The GetYourGuide ticket can be cancelled a day ahead for a full refund, or reserved now and paid for later.
More to book around Taormina
Getting ready
Guides to the music, the theatre and the town
How to book the Italian Opera Taormina evening at the Teatro Nazarena: what the ticket includes, who performs, how dates and seats work, and who it suits.
Read this guide → Venue, getting there and the eveningWhere the Teatro Nazarena is in Taormina, how to reach the town by train, bus or car, what the interval on the terrace is like and what to wear.
Read this guide →FAQ
About 1.5 hours, interval included. The start time sits beside each date on the booking page, so dinner can come before or after.
At the Teatro Nazarena, Via Fontana Vecchia 3, in the centre of Taormina. It is not the ancient theatre.
Professional singers accompanied by a pianist. The performers and the programme change, so book for the evening and not for a named singer.
No. The bill is built from well-known arias and duets by Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, Donizetti and Rossini, sung in Italian, and no Italian is needed. The guide for first-time listeners on this site gives the stories.
The entry ticket, a glass of Italian Prosecco and water. Dinner and transport are not part of it.
Yes. On the GetYourGuide ticket you may cancel a day ahead and receive the whole fare back, or hold a seat now and settle up later.
The organiser's own site says children up to six attend free. On the GetYourGuide booking, read the child options on the booking page before you choose.
The GetYourGuide ticket is marked wheelchair accessible. Taormina is a hill town, so ask the organiser through its own site about the route and seating ahead of your trip.
Fares are per adult. Prices appear in US dollars on this page and switch to your own currency at checkout.