by Nina Vaclavikova
Interviews: Artistic Director of Teatro Verdi, Valerio Vicari; Giorgio Rossi, Trieste councilor for culture and tourism
The city’s Operetta Festival will return in 2026 with a program that highlights one of Trieste’s most enduring cultural traditions, culminating in a new production of La Bajadera at the historic Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi.
Presented on Friday at Palazzo Gopcevich, the festival is the result of a collaboration between the City of Trieste, the International Operetta Association of Friuli Venezia Giulia, the Verdi Theatre Foundation and other local cultural institutions. Organizers described the event as part of a broader effort to strengthen the city’s long-standing connection to operetta, a genre that flourished in Trieste throughout the 20th century.
The centerpiece of the festival will be La Bajadera, the 1921 operetta by the Hungarian composer Emmerich Kálmán. The production will be staged at the Verdi Theatre on July 9, 11 and 12, with the theatre’s orchestra, chorus and technical staff taking part. The production will be conducted by Andrea Albertin and directed by Andrea Binetti.
Set in Paris, La Bajadera tells the story of an Indian prince searching for a bride and his romance with a celebrated stage performer. The operetta became one of Kálmán’s most successful works after its Vienna premiere and remains a staple of the Central European operetta repertoire.
Festival organizers said the event continues to draw on Trieste’s deep reservoir of local artistic talent while also attracting performers from abroad. Alongside the staged productions, a series of summer concerts dedicated to operetta and musical theater will be presented in public spaces across the city.
Speaking at the presentation, city officials emphasized the role of operetta in Trieste’s cultural identity and its appeal to visitors from across the region and neighboring countries. They expressed hope that future editions of the festival will continue to expand and strengthen the city’s reputation as one of Europe’s historic centers of operetta.
