Each autumn, in the charming city of Bergamo, a festival dedicated to Gaetano Donizetti takes place. The composer’s rarest operas are presented in two magnificent Italian-style theatres: the Teatro Donizetti and the Teatro Sociale.

The 2026 edition of the Donizetti Opera Festival offers a fresh and focused perspective on the early years of the composer’s theatrical career. By concentrating on the period 1826–1828, the festival invites audiences to rediscover two major opere serie, Alahor in Granata and L’esule di Roma, alongside the theatrical spirit and comic vitality of Le convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali, presented in its expanded 1831 version.

Through this carefully curated programme, the festival highlights the emergence of Donizetti’s distinctive style—poised between classical heritage, dramatic intensity and a keen sense of theatre—offering an engaging immersion in early nineteenth-century Italian opera.