Operaestate Festival 2026: interview with co-director Michele Mele
The 46th edition of Operaestate Festival runs until September 13, 2026, in Bassano del Grappa and the Pedemontana Veneta area. Co-director Michele Mele discusses the program's focus on relationships with territory, artists, and audiences. The festival features dance, theater, music, and circus, mixing premieres with repertoire works. Highlights include Chiara Frigo's 'A human Song', Davide Enia's 'Autoritratto', Anagoor's 'Povero diavolo – mal detto Arlecchino' and 'Polittico dell'infamia', and Compagnia Zappalà Danza's 'Brother to Brother' and 'Bach Dance Concert'. The B. Motion section (August 21-30) emphasizes contemporary languages, with a focus on Veneto artists, Italian dramaturgy, and international acts from Belgium, Switzerland, Lithuania, and Norway. Professional days address accessibility, featuring Dance Well project and companies Tumbleweed, Chiara Bersani, and Zoo/Platform K.
Key facts
- Operaestate Festival 2026 is the 46th edition.
- Festival runs until September 13, 2026.
- Location: Bassano del Grappa and Pedemontana Veneta, Italy.
- Co-director: Michele Mele; general and artistic director: Rosa Scapin.
- Disciplines: dance, theater, music, circus.
- Theme: 'relationships' with territory, artists, and audiences.
- B. Motion section: August 21-30, 2026.
- Professional days theme: accessibility.
- Dance Well project offers free weekly classes in Bassano.
- Featured artists: Chiara Frigo, Davide Enia, Anagoor, Compagnia Zappalà Danza, Enrico Iannello, Ayelen Parolin, Giovanni Andrea Zanon, Toni Siqi Yun, Mauro Martinuz, Silvia Costa, Sara Sguotti, Federica Rosellini, Leda Kreider, Eric Arnal-Burtschy, Soraya Leila Emery, Clara Delorme, Baptiste Caseaux, Emma Saba, Adrian Carlo Bibiano, Džiugas Kunsmanas, Dovydas Strimantis, Demetrio Castellucci, Chiara Bersani, Tumbleweed, Zoo/Platform K.
Entities
Artists
- Michele Mele
- Rosa Scapin
- Chiara Frigo
- Davide Enia
- Anagoor
- Roberto Zappalà
- Daniele Albanese
- Enrico Iannello
- Ayelen Parolin
- Giovanni Andrea Zanon
- Toni Siqi Yun
- Mauro Martinuz
- Silvia Costa
- Sara Sguotti
- Federica Rosellini
- Leda Kreider
- Eric Arnal-Burtschy
- Soraya Leila Emery
- Clara Delorme
- Baptiste Caseaux
- Emma Saba
- Adrian Carlo Bibiano
- Džiugas Kunsmanas
- Dovydas Strimantis
- Demetrio Castellucci
- Chiara Bersani
- Caterina Carpio
- Domenico Ingenito
- Matthieu Pastore
- Laura Bevione
- Roberto Casarotto
- ResExtensa Dance Company
- Silvia Gribaudi
- Marco D'Agostin
- Claudia Marsicano
- Adriano Bolognino
- Christos Papadopoulos
- Marcos Morau
- La Veronal
- Luis Buñuel
- Giuliana Musso
- Gaia Nanni
- Babilonia Teatri
- Marco Paolini
- Ascanio Celestini
- Lella Costa
- Elio Germano
- Teho Teardo
- Pier Paolo Pasolini
- Qui e Ora Residenza teatrale
- Paolo Fresu
- Uri Caine
- Stefano Bollani
- Populous
- Nicolas Gaunin
- Circo Zoè
- Gabriele Vacis
- Simona Bertozzi
- Virginia Woolf
- Annamaria Ajmone
- Laura Agnusdei
- Alessandro Sciarroni
- Marta Ciappina
- Lara Barsaq
- Leila Ka
- Olga Dukhovnaya
- Ioanna Paraskevopoulou
- Camilla Monga
- Emanuele Maniscalco
- Ariadne Mikou
- Mia Habib
- Francesca Pennini
- Filippo Ceredi
- Eva Geatti
- Leonardo Manzan
- Matilde Vigna
- Gianmaria Borzillo
- Sergi Casero
- Licia Lanera
- Benno Steinegger
- Jovial Mbenga
Institutions
- Operaestate Festival
- Comune di Bassano del Grappa
- Piccolo Teatro Milano
- Bolzano Danza
- VeneziaPianoFestival
- Dance Well
- Tumbleweed
- Zoo/Platform K
- Artribune
- Operaestate Festival Veneto
- Circo El Grito
- Teatro Necessario
- Compagnia Rasoterra
- Cie Zec
- PEM
- CollettivO CineticO
- Aerowaves
- Marsilio
- Menoventi
- Piccola Compagnia della Magnolia
Locations
- Bassano del Grappa
- Italy
- Pedemontana Veneta
- Veneto
- Napoli
- Belgium
- Switzerland
- Lithuania
- Norway
- Canada
- Marostica
- Ponte Vecchio
- Parco Ragazzi del '99
- France
- Greece
- Spain
- Germany