Verdi Festival in Parma: Encounters with Distant Worlds | October 2026

Over twenty years ago, the city of Parma inaugurated an annual festival to honour its most famous local son, Giuseppe Verdi. The festival, which starts at the end of September and continues throughout October (the month of Verdi’s birth), features a range of the composer’s operatic and other grand works, both well-known and less commonly encountered; it has since become one of the most important showcases of the composer’s music in the world. Today, there is no better place to enjoy Verdi’s magnificent repertoire, and reflect on his life and the surroundings that inspired him, while also appreciating the region’s rich local culture.

Every festival takes a key theme as its inspiration, and in 2026 we will explore the ‘distant worlds’ of biblical Babylon and Ancient Egypt through the lenses of two magnificent operas: Nabucco and Aida. Aided by our Tour Director and the festival’s innovative programming, we will seek to understand how these cultures were perceived by Verdi and others of his time, as well as relationships between diverse peoples and cultures more broadly, the significance of these dynamics for Verdi, and their continued relevance today.

Paced carefully over five days, our tour will incorporate two specially selected operas from the 2026 programme, alongside a standout performance of Verdi’s Requiem. Our primary venue is Parma’s opera house, the Teatro Regio, inaugurated in 1829 and host to a myriad of performances by Italian masters from Rossini to Bellini. Verdi’s works have played a particularly important role in the theatre’s history, with every single one of his operas staged here since 1843.

The riveting Messa da Requiem launches our tour in style, featuring the sublime singing of international artists Eleonora Buratto, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Saimir Pirgu and Roberto Tagliavini, under Italian conductor Daniele Rustioni.

Considered by Verdi as the springboard for his artistic career, Nabucco’s romance and political agenda are interwoven against a rich historical backdrop. With its stirring refrain of ‘Va, pensiero, sull’ali dorate’ from ‘The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves’, the work was an instant success, and its themes continue to resonate deeply with audiences today.

We are particularly delighted to be taking in a performance of Aida in the historical surroundings of Verdi’s hometown of Busseto. The composer’s evergreen classic presents a story of divided loyalties in the court of the king of Ancient Egypt. With its moments of private intimacy and dramatic public scenes – brought spectacularly to life in Franco Zeffirelli’s production – this beloved work will also take on the magic of the town’s beautiful and intmate Teatro Giuseppe Verdi. To prepare us for this special experience, we will enjoy a private pre-opera talk with the Tour Director in the nearby Casa Barezzi Museum, former house of Verdi’s patron and father-in-law.

Our days will be spent relaxing and getting to know the musical and cultural treasures of the region. We particularly look forward to visiting Verdi’s birthplace in Le Roncole, the Casa Barezzi Museum in Busseto – which details the composer’s early life – and the splendid Violin Museum in Cremona, home to a rich array of stringed instruments (including those crafted by Stradivari and members of the Amati and Guarneri families) alongside models and tools belonging to the Stradivari family. Here we will learn not just about the unique role played by Cremonese artists in the violin’s story, but also the origins and evolution of the instrument more widely, and we hope to enjoy a public demonstration of a Stradivari instrument while here.

We will stay throughout at the four-star Hotel Stendhal, perfectly located in the heart of Parma, a five-minute walk from the Teatro Regio (our primary venue) and close to the cathedral and baptistery. The hotel is elegant, classically decorated, warm and welcoming.

This tour will be led by Sandy Burnett, MA, a musician and broadcaster who spent a decade as one of the core team of presenters on BBC Radio 3, during which time he interviewed many of the world’s finest musicians. Conducting credits have included a complete cycle of Bach cantatas as well as work with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal National Theatre and in London’s West End, where he spent many years as a musical director. Sandy is very much looking forward to introducing a new ACE group to this magnificent festival in 2026.

Included: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a standard twin or double bedded room, performances as described (category one tickets), four breakfasts, one lunch, four dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not Included: travel insurance, standard double room for single use supplement £430.