How to get to La Scala: tickets, dress code and 2026/2027 season schedule
Every year on December 7, Milan opens its opera season. The main evening is hosted by La Scala, and tickets for the opening night cost more than for regular performances.
The 2026/2027 season starts on December 7, 2026 with Verdi's Otello and runs through November 16, 2027 (season calendar, as of 09/13/2026). It includes more than ten opera titles, ballet programs, and dozens of concerts.
Below: how the season works, how to buy a ticket, what to wear, and what to see.
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How the La Scala season works
💡 In short:
- The season opening is always on December 7: tickets for that evening are worth buying in advance.
- The season runs from December 7, 2026 through November 16, 2027.
- Tickets are sold online, at the box office at Largo Ghiringhelli 1, and through authorized agents.
- Prices, hours, and rules: 09/2026, verified on the theater's official website.
La Scala opened in 1778 and operates almost year-round (theater history). The season begins on December 7 and closes the following fall, most often in November.
Each production runs as a block: several performances in a row, then a pause before the next title.
Here, a premiere refers only to the first performance of a production. Repeat performances run as revivals with their own dates in the calendar. The December 7 opening stands apart in the schedule.
What this means for you: look not only at the opera title but also at the dates of its block (calendar). Between blocks, the hall usually hosts concerts or children's programs.
In addition to opera, the season includes ballet and symphony concerts. A symphony evening lasts about two hours, operas and ballets have intermissions, and the duration of each act is printed in the programs (audience information).
December 7 premiere: the main evening of the year
© Bramfab · CC BY-SAPhoto: Bramfab, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia CommonsThe season opening in Milan is tied to the city's feast of Saint Ambrose. For the theater, it is a showcase: the most anticipated production is staged for the premiere, and the cast is assembled from world-class stars.
The 2026/2027 premiere went to Verdi's Otello. The first performance takes place on December 7, 2026, and the last in the block is shown on January 5, 2027 (opera calendar).
A few days before the premiere, there is a preview for audiences under 30: in 2026, it is on December 4 (program for young audiences).
The theater recommends arriving no later than twenty minutes before the first bell (visitor rules). The hall opens early: you will have time for the coat check.
What Verdi's Don Carlo is about
One of the December openings that launched the La Scala season was Verdi's Don Carlo. This production shows what the theater's premiere evenings look like: a grand historical stage, a conflict of power and love, a large cast.
The opera is based on a play by Friedrich Schiller. Spanish King Philip II clashes with his son, Don Carlo, and the cause of the quarrel is Elisabeth of Valois: both are in love with her.
The action takes place in 16th-century France and Spain. Don Carlo remains one of Verdi's longest operas.
The production was directed by Lluís Pasqual, who has worked in European theaters and at the Salzburg Festival.
Who takes the stage
For premieres, La Scala assembles a cast of world-class stars. In Don Carlo, Elisabeth of Valois was sung by Anna Netrebko, and the role of Princess Eboli went to Elīna Garanča.
The male roles were divided among Francesco Meli (Don Carlo), Luca Salsi (Rodrigo), and Michele Pertusi (Philip II). The Grand Inquisitor was performed by South Korean bass Jongmin Park. If you are just starting to go to the opera, look for familiar names in the calendar.
The visual side was handled by costume designer Franca Squarciapino and set designer Daniel Bianco. The set was built around a large tower with panels resembling alabaster, with the chorus placed on both sides of it.
Squarciapino's costumes preserve the historical details of the era. In her vision, even the color black reads here not as mourning but as a sign of status and depth.
2026/2027 Season calendar
The 2026/2027 season opens with Verdi's Otello, with thirteen opera titles in total on the schedule (theater schedule, as of 13.09.2026). Below are the season's operas with dates.
Opera | Dates |
|---|---|
Verdi's Otello | December 7, 2026 - January 5, 2027 |
Bizet's The Pearl Fishers | January 22 - February 7, 2027 |
Mozart's Don Giovanni | February 3 - 28, 2027 |
Puccini's La Bohème | February 16 - March 7, 2027 |
Donizetti's Anna Bolena | March 30 - April 16, 2027 |
Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress | April 17 - 30, 2027 |
Verdi's Macbeth | May 4 - 22, 2027 |
Massenet's Don Quichotte | May 23 - June 14, 2027 |
Bellini's I Puritani | June 15 - July 1, 2027 |
Adams's Nixon in China | June 26 - July 13, 2027 |
Leonora | September 11 - 26, 2027 |
Rossini's The Barber of Seville | October 2 - 29, 2027 |
Purcell's Dido and Aeneas | October 26 - November 16, 2027 |
Dates: 2026/2027 season schedule, as of 13.09.2026.
The season's ballets include The Nutcracker (December 17, 2026 - January 16, 2027), Giselle (March 3 - 16, 2027), the Fracci Gala, and Hommage à Béjart (ballet schedule).
Symphonic programs run almost every month, with individual evenings devoted to piano and vocal concerts (concert calendar).
Tickets and prices (as of 09/2026)
Tickets are sold online, at the box office, and through authorized agents. The box office is open Monday through Saturday from 12:00 to 18:00 at Largo Ghiringhelli 1 (box office hours and address).
The theater prices tickets based on the type of production and the seat location. The gallery and side boxes are cheaper, the orchestra seats are more expensive; rates and seat visibility can be found on the tickets page.
On the day of a performance, the box office sells 140 gallery tickets if seats remain (sales conditions). Discounts are available for young people, audience members over 65, people with disabilities, and members of workers' associations.
The program costs €20 at the first opera of the season, €15 at other operas, €10 at the ballet, and €5 at concerts (as of 09/2026, theater rules). The cloakroom is free, but bulky bags will still need to be checked.
If a ticket is lost, the box office will issue a duplicate no later than two hours before the performance: bring your passport (ticket procedures).
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Dress code and attendance rules
The theater asks guests to dress in keeping with the decorum of the hall. Shorts and sleeveless shirts are not allowed inside, and ticket money is not refunded in that case (theater dress code).
For an evening performance, closed shoes, a shirt or blouse, and a jacket are enough. A bow tie is not required, and athletic wear will not work.
Latecomers are not seated right away. If your seat is in the stalls or the gallery, you will have to wait in the foyer until intermission. The rules are more relaxed for side boxes, where you can take your seat after the performance has begun (rules for latecomers).
Phones and cameras are not allowed in the hall: filming during the performance is prohibited. Subtitles with the libretto are shown on screens at the seats, with Italian and English versions available (subtitles and rules).
Children also need a ticket. Age restrictions depend on the production, so check the children at the theater section before buying.
How to get to La Scala
The theater stands on Piazza della Scala, opposite the Palazzo Marino city hall. The main entrance is on the square, while audience members with gallery tickets are directed to the museum entrance on Largo Ghiringhelli (how to find the theater).
The metro is the closest option: from Duomo station you can walk to the theater in a few minutes. Trams cross the square, but at rush hour the metro is more predictable.
If you arrive by train, a direct metro line runs from Milano Centrale to the center. Getting from the station to the theater without transfers is easier than looking for parking: in the center it is paid and almost always full.
Museum and theater tours
If there are no tickets left for a performance, La Scala is still worth a visit. The theater museum is open every day from 9:30 to 17:30, with last entry at 17:00 (tickets and opening hours).
© Lucalari84 · CC BY-SAPhoto: Lucalari84, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia CommonsThe museum holds costumes, set design sketches, antique instruments, and portraits of singers. According to the museum, the ticket also gives access to the third-tier boxes: from there you can see the auditorium itself, if there is no rehearsal or performance in the theater (Museo Teatrale alla Scala).
Admission costs 12 €, with a reduced price of 8 € for students, schoolchildren aged 6 to 18, and visitors over 65. Children under 6 enter free (as of 09/2026, museum prices).
Separately, the theater offers tours of the auditorium, both group and individual (theater tours). The museum is closed on December 7, 25, and 26, January 1, Easter, May 1, and August 15.
Milan nearby: what to see before the performance
© Paolobon140 · CC BY-SAPhoto: Paolobon140, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia CommonsPerformances start in the evening, so during the day you have half a day for the city. The theater is right in the center: Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and Milan Cathedral are nearby, and you can walk to Sforza Castle.
If you have only two days in Milan, we have put together a ready-made route covering nine places separately: Milan guide with prices, opening hours, and honest catches.
Stage lovers will find the roundup of record-breaking theaters interesting. It brings together auditoriums worth seeing at least once.
After the performance, the center does not go to sleep: cafes in the Navigli area stay open late.
⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions
When does the new season start at La Scala?
The season opens on December 7, the feast day of Saint Ambrose, the patron saint of Milan. You will find the exact dates of the blocks in the full season schedule.
How much do tickets to La Scala cost?
There is no single price: the cost depends on the production and the seat. The gallery and side boxes are cheaper, the stalls are more expensive. The theater publishes current prices and seat visibility on its website.
What should I wear to the opera?
The theater asks guests to dress in keeping with the decorum of the auditorium. For the evening, closed shoes, a shirt or blouse, and a jacket are enough.
Can I take photos in the auditorium?
No, photography in the auditorium is prohibited. You can open the libretto text in the Libretto Scala app on your phone.
Can I come with a child?
Every audience member needs a ticket, including a child. Age restrictions depend on the production, and some performances have separate family shows. Before buying, check the theater's rules, and for a first visit choose a performance aimed at children.
In short: what to book
La Scala operates almost all year round, so tickets are realistically available in both winter and spring. The season opening stands apart in the schedule, and after that performances run in blocks, with tickets for each block released separately.
If you have one evening, choose an opera rather than a concert. If you are going for a weekend, visit the theater museum during the day and attend a performance in the evening. The easiest way to save is on seats: the gallery and side boxes are cheaper than the stalls.
Compare options in advance: on premiere days, hotels in the center sell out quickly.
A small editorial team writing guides for independent travel. We travel ourselves, but we haven’t been everywhere, so we check prices, opening hours and how to get there against official sources.