Opera Culture as an economic driver: Verona Arena creates almost 6000 jobs
The Verona Arena keeps the cash registers ringing. According to a study, the foundation that organizes the operas in the amphitheatre generates a turnover of around two billion euros and creates almost 6,000 jobs.
11.11.2025, 11:24
SDA
According to the study by the Nomisma Institute, the cultural event contributes 206 million euros to state tax revenues. For every euro invested in the arena, an added value of 6.3 euros flows back to Italy.
Director Cecilia Gasdia, who has been in office since 2018, described the arena as an "extraordinary success story" and "mass phenomenon" based on decades of traditional skills. Public funding only accounted for 27% of the foundation's income - significantly less than the other eleven Italian opera foundations, which, according to Nomisma, receive an average of 70% of their funding from public sources.
404,715 spectators attracted
In 2025, the Arena Opera Festival attracted 404,715 spectators at 48 performances and generated income of around 35.6 million euros. Visitors also spent around 315 million euros on accommodation, catering, shopping, leisure and cultural activities and transportation. In total, the festival generated economic added value of almost 1.98 billion euros.
The tax effects are also considerable: according to the study, the direct and indirect tax payments of the 2024 Foundation amounted to over one million euros. Added to this were around 4.5 million euros in VAT on deliveries and around five million euros in wage and income taxes for employees.
Tourism during the festival also contributed around 1.2 million euros to the city of Verona's tourist tax - more than 15 percent of the total annual income from this tax.
Around 60 percent of the added value generated remains in the province of Verona. According to surveys, 60 percent of residents see the Arena as the most important symbol of the city.
