Verona's 'Natale per Verona' Transforms Historic City into Open-Air Theater

The first edition of 'Natale per Verona' runs until January 6, 2025, turning Verona's iconic piazzas and landmarks into a large open-air theater with over 160 free events, 150 km of lights, videomapping, and site-specific installations. The initiative is organized by the Direzione Commercio e Manifestazioni of the Comune di Verona, arising from the public call 'Natale Diffuso – Adotta una piazza' that invited businesses, volunteer associations, cultural organizations, and local entities to adopt urban spaces. Artistic director Viola Colletti, founder of creative agency ZOO SRL | OOZ AGENCY known for international events with Andrea Bocelli, Live Nation, Ferrari, Barilla, and Heineken, collaborated with Assessora al Commercio e Manifestazioni Alessia Rotta and architect Andrea Alban to create a unified visual language. Key interventions include a brutalist Christmas tree in Piazza della Cittadella adorned with silver disco balls referencing 1970s club culture, a pyramidal multimedia tree in Cortile del Mercato Vecchio combining multiple trees, LED walls, and mirrored surfaces, and a videomapping tribute to Veronese artist Renato Righetti di Bosso projected onto the Arco dei Gavi. The program also features live performances by emerging bands and artists, olfactory and multisensory paths, and narrative tours exploring the historic center.