Record private fundraising for the Arena di Verona

A record collection of private funds and sponsorships for the Arena di Verona, which on 7 June is preparing to kick off the new opera season with a special evening dedicated to Italian Opera - since last December recognised as Intangible Heritage of Humanity by Unesco. The evening, which will be broadcast by RAI worldwide, will see the participation of the highest offices of State, but above all that of 160 orchestra professors and 300 chorus artists from the Italian lyrical symphonic foundations, as well as the extraordinary participation of maestro Riccardo Muti.

This event confirms the international role of Verona's opera house, which in the last five years has recorded some 230,000 spectators from abroad out of a total of 400,000, or 57.7 per cent of the audience.

An international theatre, but also strongly rooted in its territory, in which it generates an economic impact estimated at 450 million euro a year thanks to the Opera Festival: this is testified to by the support of sponsors and private individuals for its activities, in particular through the fundraising project '67 Columns for the Arena di Verona', launched in 2021 and growing over the years: 1.5 million collected in the first year, 1.6 million in 2022, 2 million in 2023 and this year a record 2.1 million. To these, resources from sponsorships are added, which reached 2.7 million in 2024.

The first to join the project were Gian Luca Rana, CEO of Pastificio Rana, and Sandro Veronesi, Founder and President of Oniverse, together with the media partnership of the Editoriale Athesis group, followed by many other entrepreneurs, professional orders and category associations, including Confindustria Verona. Numerous sponsors joined in, including, just this year, Poste Italiane, ManPower, Consorzio di Tutela dell'Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP.

"The greatest open-air theatre in the world lives thanks to the contribution of financiers, supporters and workers," said the superintendent of the Fondazione Arena, Cecilia Gasdia. "With this strong awareness we are ready to kick off the new century of the Arena Opera Festival and a season full of celebrations and major anniversaries. The audience of companies that support us is testimony to the strength and trust that the Arena di Verona brand enjoys both nationally and internationally. Precisely for this reason, just as the founders of the 67 Columns Gian Luca Rana and Sandro Veronesi did four years ago, in accepting this challenge we would like to mark a new milestone and ensure that the Fondazione Arena establishes itself in the world as an ambassador for the excellence of Made in Italy. First and foremost for art, music and culture, our main mission, but also for craftsmanship and the companies that accompany it on this new path".