Scala, record takings for the premiere. For 2026 the Theatre looks to SMEs

"I have no difficulty in admitting that, had it already been chosen by those who preceded me, it is an opera that I would certainly have tried to put on the programme for a 7 December. I fully endorse this decision, which is significant not only because of the greatness of the opera, but also because it indicates a change of register: to introduce music of this style at the Saint Ambrose premiere is an unprecedented novelty". Fortunato Ortombina, who will attend tomorrow's opening night at La Scala in Milan for the first time as the theatre's superintendent, expresses words of praise for Dmitrij Šostakovič's "A Lady Macbeth from the District of Mcensk", conducted by maestro Riccardo Chailly, directed by Vasily Barkhatov, which opens the 2025/2026 season.

The opera, which will be broadcast live on RAI1 thanks to the partnership with RAI, as well as in 30 locations in the city thanks to the collaboration with Edison, has also convinced the young people under 30 who, as is traditional, attended the "Preview" reserved for them last Thursday. And it certainly attracted the interest of the public, who rewarded the choice by confirming the "sold out" that is traditionally recorded for the performance on 7 December (and often also for subsequent performances), for a total of almost 2,000 spectators and a record takings of 2.8 million euros, up from 2.6 million last year, although the price of tickets (ranging from 150 to 3,200 euros) remained unchanged.

'Despite some people claiming that it is not a suitable opera for the premiere, the numbers show that it is, and it is an excellent result not only for La Scala and its management, who made this programme, but also for the city of Milan,' adds Ortombina.

There are also other numbers that comfort the superintendent and describe a theatre and a foundation in excellent health: the 2025 budget (the final balance will be approved by the board of directors in the coming months) is expected to be in the black, as is the 2026 budget, which was approved by the last board of directors in mid-November and will now have to be examined by the shareholders' meeting. "But that's not all: closing the budget at breakeven is the conditio sine qua non, but then you have to see whether you break even because you are playing defensively or continuing to invest. And we want to continue to invest,' Ortombina points out. In favour of this approach play, in addition to public funds, steadily growing own revenues: 2024 recorded 456,800 spectators, against 398,000 in 2023, for a total revenue of 34.1 million euro. And 2025, while waiting for the closing figures, bodes well, with 450 thousand spectators at the first of December and average takings per performance exceeding last year's for all items: 268 thousand for opera, against 260 thousand in 2024; 150 thousand for ballet, against 144,252; 115 thousand for the symphonic, against 109,375. The auditorium fill rate also improved, rising from 91% to 92%. Furthermore, adds Ortombina, private support has been confirmed, starting with the partners of the premiere (including Rolex, Bmw Italia, Allianz and Edison), as well as all those who contribute about a third of the foundation's budget, including Intesa Sanpaolo, the season's main sponsor.

"But we cannot rest on our laurels and must always look ahead. That is why the 2026 budget will be prudent, but still aimed at activating new energies with which to tackle the many challenges that await us,' the superintendent points out. Who, among his priorities, recalls the goal of reaching an ever wider audience, "intended both as an audience that comes to see the performances and as an audience that participates in supporting La Scala through forms of sponsorship. We have supporters who have always been supporters and this reflects a participation of the city of Milan in the existence and energy of La Scala that I find wonderful. I would like to extend this possibility of collaboration also to small and medium-sized companies in the area, with sponsorship formulas suited to the possibilities and needs of each one'. One line of partnership development therefore concerns SMEs. The other is part of the projects for the theatre's 250th anniversary, which will be celebrated in 2028. An anniversary that should not be "a time to make proclamations or self-celebrations, but an opportunity to show everyone a path already taken and advanced," says Ortombina. "We must arrive at this date with visible results, to make everyone proud of what La Scala is.