Opera houses

The Palermo opera is a popular thing to do in Palermo. Find more information about tickets, performances, and opera houses including the Teatro Massimo and Politeama Garibaldi.

See High-Quality Italian Opera In Palermo

Some of the world’s most famous operas are Italian, and you can see them performed in all their natural glory here in Palermo. However, you don’t need to merely content yourself with historical treasures. Palermo is considered to be one of Italy’s more developed opera centers, so new works are being performed along with old favorites.

The Palermo opera season runs annually from November to July. In the summer months when the official season is over, lighter works are performed as part of the summer Festival di Verdura program.

There are two main opera houses in Palermo, although one dominates over the other. However, both are quite worth the exploration, and with the reasonable cost of tickets there is no reason to deprive yourself of any of Palermo’s operatic offerings.

Teatro Massimo

The Teatro Massimo is Palermo’s dominant opera house and performance hall for ballet. Built between 1875 and 1897, it was completely refurbished in 1997 for its 100th birthday. It looks stunning, and for many American guests, oddly familiar.

The familiarity of the Teatro Massimo stems from it’s role in The Godfather: Part III, a trivia fact you can use to get even non-opera lovers and teenagers in the door. In addition to the evening performances, the Teatro Massimo offers guided tours in English four times a day Tuesday – Saturday. Tours are €5.

For tickets, you can talk to your concierge or visit the box office Tuesday Sunday 10 am to 3:30 pm. Tickets range from €10 – €97. As the largest theater stage in Italy, some of the productions are truly remarkable.

Politeama Garibaldi

While the Teatro Massimo may get all the glory and the movie roles, the Politeama Garibaldi is no slouch either. Three decades older than its rival, loyalists insist that the Garibaldi has superior acoustics. As the two opera houses are just a few minutes walk from each other, it’s only fair to visit both to see which is really the best acoustically.

The program at the Garibaldi is tailored to smaller productions, as the interior space is not as large. It is also not exclusively dedicated to operatic pursuits. Evening performances may include concerts by the Sicilian Regional Orchestra or solo singers.

For art fans, the restored frescoes are certainly a draw. The building also houses the Gallery of Modern Art, making a visit here doubly worth your time.