The story
Opera Open Plovdiv in Plovdiv
Opera Open stages full productions in Plovdiv's 2nd-century Ancient Theatre, a Roman amphitheatre built into a hillside in the old town. Each season runs roughly from late June into September, pairing repertory works like Aida and La Traviata with crossover bills that have included tribute concerts and staged musicals in past years. Performances begin after dark, when stone terraces still hold the afternoon's heat and voices carry across the ruins without much amplification.
The Ancient Theatre in Plovdiv seats close to 2,200 people on marble tiers built into a hillside in the 2nd century AD, and for several weeks each summer it becomes the stage for Opera Open.