(ANSA) – Rome, August 9 – The 2024 edition of the Caracalla Festival, organized by the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, concluded with record attendance figures. With 147,000 spectators, an increase of 27% compared to 2023, it was the highest attendance since 2001 when the festival returned to Caracalla after being held at the Circus Maximus during the Covid emergency.
Tosca and Turandot, presented with a scenic project by Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas and directed by Francesco Micheli, were highly successful with audiences. The two titles attracted over 45,000 spectators across various performances. Notably, Tosca surpassed La Traviata in 2023 to become the opera with the highest number of tickets sold for its opening night at Caracalla since 2001.
The festival’s symphonic program, including Fantasia Disney – Live in Concert and Rhapsody in Blue, was also a sell-out, attracting more than 4,500 spectators per evening. The audience also appreciated the off-programme offerings, such as the Puccini Dance Circus Opera and two jazz concerts by Gabriele Coen Quintet and Gianluigi Trovesi, which were all sold out.
The festival attracted a diverse audience, with approximately half of the attendees being Rome residents. Tourists accounted for 53% of the attendance, with 28% being foreigners primarily from the United States, Germany, and France. The festival also saw a significant presence of young people, with approximately 30% of attendees under the age of 30.
The festival director, Francesco Giambrone, expressed satisfaction with the results, highlighting the large audience of Italian and foreign tourists and the exceptional response from the public. He also noted the growing attention towards the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, particularly among younger audiences.
Following the summer break, the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma will resume its performances at the Teatro Costanzi on September 14 with Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty. Other upcoming productions include Peter Grimes, Britten’s masterpiece, and Sindbad’s Last Voyage, a commissioned work by Silvia Colasanti.
The season concludes with Il rosso e il nero, a creation by Uwe Scholz based on a collage of music by Berlioz, which will be presented for the first time in Rome.