Macerata Opera Festival Centenary Opens with Aida at Sferisterio Arena

The Macerata Opera Festival celebrates its centenary edition at the Arena Sferisterio in Macerata, opening on July 23, 2021, after a premiere the previous evening. Superintendent Luciano Messi highlights the challenges of staging the festival during the pandemic, including a reduction in audience capacity from 2,500 to 1,000 spectators and a 60% self-financing model that strains revenues. The festival chose to present Aida, a representative title for the centenary, despite the difficulties of producing a scenic opera during COVID-19. Other adaptations included postponing Il barbiere di Siviglia to next year and replacing it with a family-oriented show in late May. Messi emphasizes the festival's commitment to young artists and audiences, noting a lower average age among staff and performers. He also recalls Carlo Petrucci's 1967 vision to transform the Sferisterio into a stable opera house. The festival maintains strong ties to the local region, sourcing most labor and supplies regionally. A celebratory app using gamification has been launched in collaboration with Clementoni to engage audiences. Messi calls for a comprehensive reorganization of the entertainment industry to protect workers, citing the fragility exposed by the pandemic.