Italy’s Macerata Opera Festival has announced that the 2023 season had a record number of attendance.

According to the festival, there was a total of 40,381 audience members that attended opera productions of “Carmen,” “La traviata,” and “Lucia di Lammermoor,” as well as dance performances, concerts, and “Lo Sferisterio a Scuola” productions.

This is a record that was previously held in 2022 when there were 35,000 attendees. The previous records were 37,000 in 2019 and 34,000 in 2018.

The company also noted that the 2023 season earned €1,349,950 from ticket sales, compared to €1,271,890 in 2022 and that while most attendees came from Italy, were was a growth in tourists from Germany, the Netherlands, Britain, Belgium, France, and the United States.

In a statement, Sandro Parcaroli, President of the Arena Sferisterio Association, said, “the whole city should be proud of the festival’s outstanding achievements. This has been the result of teamwork, careful programming, and high-quality artistic work. From May 25, with ‘The Sferisterio at School’ program, to August 19, the Festival required the collective effort, commitment, and passion of all those who contributed to its success. Thank you to all of you. Macerata has been able to welcome thousands of people by providing a high-quality festival at both national and international levels. The Arena Sferisterio, which represents the identity of Macerata as well as the place to be for many artists, should make us proud. At the same time, we should be aware of the great responsibility we have for future challenges; first and foremost, the 2024opera season, which marks the 60th anniversary of the Macerata Opera Festival”.