Don Quixote Milan Tickets 2026

Why see Don Quichotte live

Massenet wrote the title role for Fyodor Chaliapin, and it has stayed a bass showcase ever since: a character who has to be ridiculous and dignified at the same time, often in the same phrase. Recordings flatten that. In the house you watch an audience decide, scene by scene, whether to laugh at the old knight or grieve for him — and by the final act there is no question left.

Teatro alla Scala

La Scala opened in 1778, built by Giuseppe Piermarini on the site of the church of Santa Maria alla Scala. Around two thousand seats rise through six tiers, from the stalls to the loggione at the top, whose regulars are famous for making their verdict heard. The theatre stands on Piazza della Scala, two minutes on foot from the Duomo (metro M1 and M3).

Don Quixote — Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the opera or the ballet? This is the opera: Jules Massenet’s Don Quichotte, first performed in 1910. It is a different work from the Minkus ballet of the same name, which is also sometimes staged in Milan.

What language is it sung in? French, as Massenet wrote it. La Scala provides surtitles in the auditorium.

How long does it last? The five acts run to roughly two and a half to three hours including intervals. Performances start at 20:00, so expect to leave around 23:00.

How do I get to Teatro alla Scala? The theatre is in Via Filodrammatici on Piazza della Scala. Metro lines M1 and M3 stop at Duomo, a two-minute walk; M3 also stops at Montenapoleone.

Don Quixote at Teatro alla Scala – May and June 2027

Jules Massenet’s Don Quichotte — known in English as Don Quixote — comes to the Teatro alla Scala in a new production running from 23 May to 14 June 2027. Six performances bring one of French opera’s most poetic and moving works to one of the world’s most prestigious opera houses.

A Late Masterpiece by Massenet

Don Quichotte is an opera in five acts with a libretto by Henri Caïn, drawn from the figure created by Miguel de Cervantes. It was premiered in Monte Carlo in 1910, near the end of Massenet’s life, and it presents a deeply human portrait of the idealistic dreamer: noble, fragile, romantic and increasingly isolated from the world around him.

The score combines expressive French vocal writing with refined orchestration, and the story turns on love, loyalty, memory and lost illusions. The final act, in which the knight dies with Sancho at his side, is among the most affecting scenes Massenet wrote.

The Story of Don Quichotte

The opera opens on a Spanish square during a festival, where Dulcinée is surrounded by admirers. Don Quichotte arrives with Sancho, serenades her, and is challenged to a duel by the jealous Juan — until Dulcinée interrupts and sends the knight off on a quest: to recover a necklace stolen by bandits.

In the second act, at dawn in open country, Sancho delivers his sardonic tirade against women while his master composes verses. Then the windmills appear on the horizon, Don Quichotte takes them for giants, and charges. In the third he confronts the bandits alone and is captured; his dignity and his prayer move their leader so completely that the necklace is handed back.

He returns it in triumph at Dulcinée’s house and asks for her hand. She refuses him gently, and the crowd laughs — until Sancho turns on them. The last act is a wood at night, where the knight dies with Sancho beside him, promising his squire the island of dreams.

A New La Scala Production for 2027

This 2027 staging is directed by Damiano Michieletto, with sets by Paolo Fantin, costumes by Agostino Cavalca, lighting by Alessandro Carletti and video by Roland Horvath. Michieletto’s reading presents Don Quixote as a man surrounded by memories, obsessions and dreams, moving through different moments of his life until his final encounter with reality.

Conductor and Cast

The performances are conducted by Bertrand de Billy, leading the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro alla Scala. Alex Esposito sings Don Quichotte, Gaëlle Arquez is Dulcinée and Giulio Mastrototaro takes the role of Sancho Pança.

A Rare Title in the 2027 Season

Massenet’s opera is performed far less often than the Italian repertoire that dominates most seasons, so a new production at La Scala is an unusual occasion. For anyone visiting Milan in late spring 2027, it offers something distinct from the titles that appear year after year — French lyric opera, staged by one of the most discussed directors working in Italy today, in the house that has shaped opera for two and a half centuries.

Don Quixote Opera Milan 2027 Dates

Six performances are scheduled at the Teatro alla Scala: 23 and 29 May, and 4, 9, 11 and 14 June 2027. Evening performances begin at 20:00 Milan time. Choose a date above to see what is available for that performance.