by InTrieste
Teatro alla Scala, Italy’s iconic opera house in Milan, has reinstated a dress code that will be strictly enforced for visitors, marking a return to more traditional standards after several years of leniency.
While formal evening attire is not mandatory, the theater has banned tank tops, shorts, and flip-flops. Visitors dressed inappropriately will be denied entry without refund, according to a notice posted on La Scala’s official website.
“The Management invites the public to choose clothing that is appropriate to the decorum of the Theatre, respecting the Theatre itself and other spectators,” the statement reads. “Spectators wearing tank tops or shorts are not allowed inside the Theatre; in this case, tickets are not refundable.”
Signs reminding patrons of the dress code have been placed at entrances and ticket offices. The ban on tank tops specifically excludes women wearing blouses or sleeveless dresses, and the prohibition on flip-flops does not apply to visitors wearing traditional attire such as kimonos with appropriate footwear, as reported by Corriere della Sera.
The dress code rollback follows a period of greater tolerance encouraged by outgoing superintendent Dominique Meyer, who cited his own youthful experience being criticized for casual attire at the Paris Opera House, where he later served as general director.
This move is part of a broader initiative by La Scala to tighten regulations on audience behavior. Upcoming issues of the theater’s magazine will outline these changes in more detail, including stricter enforcement of bans on bringing outside food and drinks and prohibiting photography and video recording during performances.
Safety concerns have also prompted new rules. La Scala recently warned patrons against placing mobile phones on balcony balustrades after an incident where a phone fell from a box and struck a spectator below.
The theater’s renewed emphasis on decorum and safety aims to preserve the experience and tradition of one of the world’s most celebrated opera houses.
