Once again, the Caracalla Festival 2025 promises to be one of the must-attend events for lovers of art and entertainment. The new edition promises to be even more spectacular than the previous ones, with a series of rich events to be held at the Baths of Caracalla from June 29 to August 7, 2025.

The Caracalla Festival 2025 - titled "Between Sacred and Human" - will have an interesting and innovative program designed by the talented director Damiano Michieletto.

This is a new and exciting challenge for Director Michieletto, who will be working closely with the prestigious Teatro dell'Opera in Rome, and with the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum.

In fact, there are many innovations planned for this edition of the festival, starting with the venues where the performances will take place.

For the first time, in addition to the historic Baths of Caracalla, the majestic Basilica of Massenzio, located on Via Dei Fori Imperiali, will be included.

The inclusion of this extraordinary monument undoubtedly enriches the Festival's program, offering the public the opportunity to immerse themselves in a unique and evocative context.

Caracalla Festival 2025: Between the sacred and the human

The Caracalla Festival opens on Sunday, June 29, 2025, coinciding with the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, and promises to be an experience rich in spirituality and culture.

The opening evening, which will take place in the impressive Basilica of Massenzio, will focus on the theme of "La Gioia interiore" with a talk by theologian and communicator Vito Mancuso.

His reflection will focus on reconciliation and the importance of developing a form of personal spirituality, fundamental elements in facing the challenges of modern life.

This spiritual insight will be complemented by a performance of Orlando di Lasso's madrigal cycle "Lagrime di San Pietro" a significant work that represents the composer's testament, completed shortly before his death in 1594 and dedicated to Pope Clement VIII. The choice of such an evocative composition underscores the Festival's intention to combine music and meditation, creating an atmosphere of welcome and dialogue, especially aimed at pilgrims on the occasion of the Jubilee.

In addition, live electronic interventions by composer Vittorio Montalti will further enrich the experience, combining tradition and innovation in a highly evocative context.

This event promises to be an important opportunity to explore the connection between faith, art and community.

Caracalla Festival 2025: Opera

The Caracalla Festival 2025 promises to be an exceptional event on the opera scene, with four new productions of great prestige.
 

On July 1, Georg Friedrich Händel's La Resurrezione will be performed. The theme is deeply symbolic: the action takes place between Good Friday and Easter, alternating between the conflicts between Lucifer and the angel and the intense reflections of Mary Magdalene, Mary of Cleophas and St. John the Evangelist.

It is a struggle between faith and the lack of it, between the enthusiasm and the cynicism that characterize contemporary life.

The musical director is George Petrou, and the cast includes Sara Blanch (Angelo), Ana Maria Labin (Magdalene), Teresa Iervolino (Cleophas), Charles Workman (St. John) and Giorgio Caoduro (Lucifer).

Repeats will be performed on July 2, 4 and 5.
 

The program at the Teatro di Caracalla continues with La Traviata (July 19). Slovak director and artist Daubnerová, a pioneer of experimental theater in Europe, brings her distinctive and free artistic language to Italy for the first time.

Conductor Francesco Lanzillotta conducts the performance, while the artist Corinne Winters, already acclaimed for her roles in operas such as Madama Butterfly and Dialogues des Carmélites, plays the role of Violetta. She is joined by tenor Piotr Buszewski as Alfredo and baritone Luca Micheletti as Germont. The Teatro Chorus is conducted by Ciro Visco and the Corps de Ballet by Eleonora Abbagnato.

The performance will take place on July 23 and 27 and August 1, 2 and 3.

On July 20, the Maxentius Basilica will host Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Il Don Giovanni, a cornerstone of the classical repertoire.

The opera will be presented with an innovative and provocative vision by Vasily Barkhatov, making his debut in the capital. Baritone Roberto Frontali, at the peak of his career, will take on the role of the unrepentant libertine Don Giovanni for the first time, offering a mature and irredeemable version of the character. The production will be conducted by Alessandro Cadario, a rising star of recent seasons at the Rome Opera. The cast also includes such great performers as Vito Priante as Leporello, Nadja Mchantaf as Donna Anna, Carmela Remigio as Donna Elvira, and Anthony León as Don Ottavio. The chorus of the theater will be conducted by Ciro Visco.

The show will be performed on July 22, 24 and 25.

The new production of West Side Story will be performed at the Baths of Caracalla on Saturday, July 5.

Directed by Maestro Michele Mariotti, the show features an international cast with American and Italian artists such as Sofia Caselli as Maria and Marek Zurowski as Tony. The show explores the more human aspects of the story, such as impulsivity and irrationality, and contrasts the dream of inclusiveness with the reality of poverty and the impossibility of fulfilling one's desires, including those of love.

The play will be performed on July 9, 10, 13 and 17.

All these productions will be entrusted to emerging directors from the "nuovelle vague" of international opera direction, including Ilaria Lanzino, Sláva Daubnerová, Vasily Barkhatov and Damiano Michieletto himself, who will bring his innovative vision to these classic works.

Four not-to-be-missed titles, entrusted to world-renowned directors, promise to offer the audience of the Caracalla 2025 Festival unique emotions and modern interpretations of the great masterpieces of musical theater.

Caracalla 2025, with its combination of classical and modern works and the talents of outstanding directors and musical directors, promises to be an unmissable event for opera lovers.

Caracalla Festival 2025: Dance

The Caracalla Festival 2025 promises to be a must-see event for dance lovers.

On the program, the Corpo di Ballo del Teatro, directed by Eleonora Abbagnato, will perform two great contemporary classics.

It begins with Ravel's famous "Bolero", choreographed by Maurice Béjart, a work that expresses power and sensuality through movement. Then the audience will have the opportunity to see Stravinsky's "Le Sacre du printemps" with the famous choreography of Pina Bausch, created for the first time by an Italian ballet company. Dates: July 30 and 31.
On July 15th and 16th, the Caracalla Dance Festival will present Roberto Bolle with the evening "Roberto Bolle and Friends", an event that brings together some of the world's best dancers in extraordinary performances, offering a mix of styles and interpretations.

The program will close with "La Pasión según San Marcos" by Argentine composer Osvaldo Golijov, a work that celebrates the anniversary of Bach and has been a great international success.

The Caracalla Festival 2025 promises to be a celebration of dance and music, highlighting exceptional talent and iconic works.

Don't miss your chance to experience these unforgettable moments!

Caracalla Festival 2025: Music

The Caracalla Festival is not only dedicated to dance, but also to music.

This year, the organizers have announced the participation of some of the most acclaimed artists of the Italian music scene.

Antonello Venditti, the famous Roman singer-songwriter, will be on stage at the Caracalla Festival on the evenings of June 17th and 19th, offering the public the opportunity to listen live to his greatest hits, which have spanned generations.

Alessandra Amoroso, a talented interpreter of contemporary music, will bring her overwhelming energy to the stage on June 11, while the extraordinary Fiorella Mannoia, an icon of Italian songwriting, will perform on June 3 and 4, bringing unique emotions with her unmistakable voice.

Other great Artists will perform at the Caracalla Festival 2025: Riccardo Cocciante (June 6 and 8) and Giorgia (June 13 and 14).

In addition, composer and pianist Giovanni Allevi, known for his innovative style that blends classical and contemporary elements, will further enrich the festival program with his presence for the evening of June 20.

Tickets for these unmissable concerts are already on sale at the traditional points of sale, including Ticketone, so that all music lovers can reserve their seats in time and enjoy an unforgettable experience in the beautiful setting of the Caracalla Festival.

In short, the Caracalla Festival 2025, in the year of the Universal Jubilee of the Catholic Church, promises to be an exceptional event not to be missed.

Let's look together at the program of the Caracalla Festival 2025.