Opera in Taormina: Nazarena Theatre

The opera most visitors book in Taormina takes place in the Nazarena Theatre, a small hall at Via Fontana Vecchia 3 in the town centre. It is not at the Ancient Theatre, and the ticket does not include a visit to the ruins. You get about an hour and a half of arias and duets with a pianist, a glass of Prosecco and water, on evenings from spring to autumn.

For most people the opera at the Nazarena Theatre on a Standard ticket, about $34 per person (checked November 2026), is the one to book. It scores 4.7/5 from 975 reviews, and reviewers praise the singers and the staff. The VIP ticket at about $56 suits you if front-row seats matter; a couple of reviewers found the extras smaller than they expected.

Where the Nazarena Theatre is

The hall sits in the town centre, near Corso Umberto. The GetYourGuide listing gives no street address, so use Via Fontana Vecchia 3 and check it against your voucher. Do not head for the Ancient Theatre. You will also see the name spelled Nazareno, and some 2025 listings called it the Nazarena Garden Theatre, with an indoor hall when the weather turns.

The Ancient Theatre has staged opera too, in summer. That is a separate festival with its own tickets, covered on our concerts and events page.

What the evening includes

The listing names works by Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, Donizetti and Rossini, sung as arias and duets with piano accompaniment. The ticket includes the show, a glass of Prosecco and water, and the listing mentions a terrace with views over the bay for the drink. Dinner, other drinks and merchandise cost extra.

Reviews are mostly warm. The low ones are worth knowing before you choose a night:

• One reviewer timed the show at 75 minutes, with a single singer on stage for about 40 of them.
• Another heard lesser-known pieces, such as arias from Norma and Oberto, and missed the famous tunes.
• In summer the hall can be hot. One July 2026 reviewer said there was no air conditioning.
• One evening the pianist was out of time with the singers.

If you want a full opera house with sets and an orchestra, this is not it. If you want an hour and a half of live singing after dinner, it fits well.

Standard or VIP

A local events site lists the box-office prices as €30 Standard and €50 VIP; the GetYourGuide price differs. The VIP difference is about $22 per person. Pay it if you are close to the stage for a reason, such as poor hearing or a special occasion. Otherwise the Standard seat gives you the same singers.

What to wear

We found no dress code in the listing or the venue’s details. Reviewers describe a small hall, closer to a school hall than a grand opera house, so smart-casual is plenty. Dress for heat between June and September: light layers, and water if you run warm.

Show days and start times

A local events site gave a 21:15 start in 2026 and this pattern of nights:

The 2027 pattern had not been published when we checked, so confirm your night on the booking calendar. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before lets you move a booking if your plans change.

Filling the rest of the day

The opera starts late, which leaves the day free. Visit the Ancient Theatre in the morning with the ticket with audio guide, about $25 per person, or €14 at the gate (see tickets). The Sicilian cooking class starts at 10:00 at Porta Messina, about $117 per person, with 4.8/5 from 326 reviews. Before the show, the sunset walking tour with rooftop aperitif takes up to six people through the old town from Porta Messina for about $157 per person; it does not enter the Ancient Theatre.

For an order for the day, see our one-day itinerary, and when you have picked a night, check dates.