In this guide
💡 The Short Version: La Scala opens its 2026/27 season on Monday 7 December 2026 at 18:00 with Verdi’s Otello, the first season of Myung-Whun Chung as Music Director, staged by Damiano Michieletto. Otello then runs at 20:00 on 10, 13, 16, 19, 22 and 29 December and 2 and 5 January 2027, with an Under30 preview on 4 December. Buy only from the theatre’s webshop, its box office or its authorised points: the theatre warns against sites that sell tickets at inflated prices before sales open. The La Scala museum is closed on 7 December. 7 December is also Sant’Ambrogio’s day, and the Oh Bej! Oh Bej! fair is at the Sforza Castle. Or book a tour: the Museo Teatrale guided tourad is from €37.60 (GetYourGuide).
The performances
| Date | Time | What |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 4 December 2026 | Under30 preview | |
| Monday 7 December 2026 | 18:00 | Opening night |
| Thursday 10 December 2026 | 20:00 | |
| Sunday 13 December 2026 | 20:00 | |
| Wednesday 16 December 2026 | 20:00 | |
| Saturday 19 December 2026 | 20:00 | |
| Tuesday 22 December 2026 | 20:00 | |
| Tuesday 29 December 2026 | 20:00 | Second cast |
| Saturday 2 January 2027 | 20:00 | Second cast |
| Tuesday 5 January 2027 | 20:00 | Second cast |
Otello is a new production, in four acts to Arrigo Boito’s libretto, which Verdi composed for La Scala in 1887. The conductor is Myung-Whun Chung, the staging is by Damiano Michieletto, the sets are by Paolo Fantin, the costumes by Carla Teti and the lights by Alessandro Carletti. The theatre’s own page for the production is the Otello page.
| Role | 7 to 22 December | 29 December, 2 and 5 January |
|---|---|---|
| Otello | Brian Jagde | Arsen Soghomonyan |
| Iago | Luca Salsi | Roberto Frontali |
| Desdemona | Eleonora Buratto | Roberta Mantegna |
Juan Francisco Gatell sings Cassio, Cristiano Olivieri Roderigo, Huanhong Li Lodovico, Nicolò Ceriani Montano and Szilvia Vörös Emilia.
How to buy
The theatre’s rules are on its how to buy page. Tickets come from the webshop, the box office at Largo Ghiringhelli 1 or an authorised point, and they carry the buyer’s name. The theatre says no reseller can hold tickets before the official on-sale date for each performance, and that tickets may not be resold for profit above the price printed on them. Opening-night sales opened on 7 October 2026 at 13:00 and the other dates on 14 October at 13:00. The Under30 preview is sold only online.
- On the day: the box office sells and hands over tickets from two hours before the start.
- Last-minute: tickets for the same performance are sold online two hours before and at the box office one hour before, up to 25% cheaper.
- Under 36: the Under30/35 Pass is €10 and gives discounted tickets, previews, open rehearsals and free guided tours.
- Dress: the ticket office turns away vests, meaning sleeveless tops, and short trousers, with no refund.
La Scala tickets has the museum prices, the box office hours and the rest of the season.
7 December in the city
The theatre stands on Piazza della Scala, a few minutes’ walk from the Duomo. The museum next door is closed on 7 December, and the box office is closed on 8 December. 7 December is the feast of Sant’Ambrogio, Milan’s patron saint, and the Oh Bej! Oh Bej! fair runs from 5 to 8 December at the Sforza Castle: see Milan Christmas markets 2026, and the basilica of Sant’Ambrogio is free: see Milan churches. Museoscienza is open on Monday 7 and Tuesday 8 December, and most other museums are closed on Mondays: see what to book before you go to Milan.
The foyer of Teatro alla Scala, with a statue of Donizetti. Photo: Bramfab, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Staying nearby
Hotels near the Duomo lists the ones within a short walk of the theatre, and the Mandarin Oriental and the Grand Hotel et de Milan, in the streets beside it, are described in where to stay in Milan.
Plan the rest
3 days in Milan fits an evening at the opera to the sights, and the best time to visit Milan has the weather and the daylight, about 8 hours 52 minutes on 7 December. For the other Italian opera house, see Venice’s La Fenice.
Common questions
When is La Scala's opening night in 2026?
Monday 7 December 2026 at 18:00, with Verdi's Otello. It is the first season of Myung-Whun Chung as Music Director, and the staging is by Damiano Michieletto.
Who sings in Otello at La Scala?
Brian Jagde sings Otello, Luca Salsi Iago and Eleonora Buratto Desdemona on 7, 10, 13, 16, 19 and 22 December. Arsen Soghomonyan, Roberto Frontali and Roberta Mantegna sing the three roles on 29 December and 2 and 5 January.
When are the other Otello performances?
At 20:00 on 10, 13, 16, 19, 22 and 29 December 2026 and 2 and 5 January 2027. An Under30 preview is on 4 December.
Where do I buy La Scala tickets?
Only from the theatre's webshop, its box office at Largo Ghiringhelli 1 and its authorised points. The theatre warns against unauthorised sites that offer tickets at inflated prices and before they officially go on sale. Opening-night sales opened on 7 October 2026 at 13:00, and the other dates on 14 October.
Can I get a ticket on the day?
The box office sells tickets from two hours before the start. Last-minute tickets, up to 25% cheaper, are sold online two hours before and at the box office one hour before.
What is the Under30 preview?
An Otello performance on 4 December 2026 for young people, sold only online. The Under30/35 Pass is €10 for anyone up to 36 and gives discounted tickets, previews, open rehearsals and free guided tours.
