Trieste Entertainment

Trieste is an extremely cultural city. If you are looking for a frenetic nightlife and dozens of nightclubs and late night bars, you won’t find them here. It's possible to drink in all-night clubs, but there are not as many here as there are in bigger Italian cities. You will find ample cultural entertainment however and will never be short of choral or theatre productions to see. There are year-round performances held at all types of venue.

Nightlife

Despite the city’s small size, there are plenty of options for evening entertainment. The choices may not compare with bigger cities such as Rome, but the selection available is unique to Trieste and will not disappoint. Trieste is not a place for a raucaus night out, as many local residents are opposed to loud, late-night clubs, but there are nightclubs for those looking for a late drink and many more are set to open in the near future. For those visitors looking for a quieter alternative, there are plenty of restaurants and traditional, quiet bars available.

Theatre and music

Trieste boasts an established music scene and an exciting theatre tradition. There are many public and private performances throughout the year which take place in all sorts of places such as theatres, churches, museums and open-air venues. These performances range from choral works and concerts to theatrical plays and dances.

The opera and ballet season lasts from November to May. There are usually eight operas and three classical and modern ballet productions. Throughout July and August Trieste hosts the annual International Festival of Light Opera, the only one of its kind in Italy, and spectators can see performances of Italian, French and Spanish works.

The symphonic season is in May, September and October, and you will usually find that there are 10 concerts during this time, often featuring internationally renowned musicians, conductors and soloists.

Summer evenings often play host to free woodwind concerts on the seafront. The Roman Amphitheatre is transformed in the summer and becomes a stage for a wide variety of performances. If you prefer indoor venues, the city’s theatres show works ranging from Greek classics to modern 20th century plays year-round.

Festivals

There are a number of annual festivals held throughout the year that are unique to Trieste, with highlights including:

• Festival del Cinema Alpe Adria is ideal for lovers of all films. All of the films have subtitles and are generally appreciated by a younger audience and film critics. Public discussions and meetings with writers and directors always follow the screenings (January).
• Carnevale Muggesano is an extremely popular carnival dating back to 1420.  Today, this carnival is still considered to be one of the most important in Italy. Revellers can experience masked balls, processions, dance shows and music in the squares. The carnival attracts thousands of people from all over the region and Trieste is transformed into a mini Rio de Janeiro (February).
• The International Festival of Light Opera is held in August every year and is one of the most important festivals in Europe. For an entire month, visitors and locals can enjoy productions sung by some of the most talented singers in the world. It is an important historical event for Trieste and attracts visitors from other regions in Italy as well as many European cities (July and August).
• Carnevale Estivo is generally regarded as a follow up to the festival held earlier in the year. The enchanting city is transformed and becomes host to a hugely popular festival. Concerts are held in the squares, theatre productions are held throughout the city, a boat race takes place as well as many other festivities suitable for the young and old (August).