Photo © Teatro alla Scala – https://www.teatroallascala.org/it/visita/visita-il-teatro.html
On the evening of 7 December, Milan holds its breath. The city shines a little brighter, dresses a little finer, and turns its attention to one stage alone:
the legendary Teatro alla Scala. The Opening Night – or, as locals simply call it, La Prima – is not just an opera performance.
It is a ritual, a tradition, and a celebration of Milanese identity.
And here is the wonderful part: even if you don’t step inside La Scala itself, you can still experience the magic.
The entire city opens its doors so that everyone – visitors, students, opera lovers, and first-timers – can share this extraordinary night.
A Night Where Art, Society, and Tradition Meet
The Opening Night at La Scala is unlike any other event in Italy. It blends high culture with social ritual:
the red carpet, the couture gowns, the political guests, the international press.
Yet behind all the glamour lies something deeply authentic. Milan celebrates its patron saint, Saint Ambrose, on the same day;
for centuries, the opera house has opened its season in his honour.
This means that La Prima is not only for music enthusiasts; it is a moment of collective identity.
Even those who never listen to opera follow it with curiosity and affection, because it belongs to the city’s cultural DNA.
The 2025 Premiere: Powerful, Surprising, Unforgettable
Photo © Wikipedia
This year’s choice is bold and evocative: Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District by Dmitrij Šostakóvich.
Dramatic, raw, and emotionally charged, it breaks away from the traditional opulent titles often associated with gala evenings.
Selecting this opera sends a message: Milan embraces complexity, innovation, and the courage to surprise.
The production brings together exceptional interpreters, a brilliant creative team, and the unmistakable energy of the Scala orchestra and choir.
Whether you watch it in person or from a screen across the city, it promises to be one of the most memorable cultural events of 2025.
Thanks to the City of Milan and Teatro alla Scala, the event becomes a shared celebration.
Through the initiative Prima Diffusa, the opera is broadcast across the city – for free – in spaces designed to welcome everyone. (Photo © Edison Prima Diffusa)
1. Free Public Screenings Across Milan
Dozens of cultural institutions, theatres, libraries, and civic centres screen the performance live.
These locations often include:
- Teatro Dal Verme
- Mudec – Museo delle Culture
- La Triennale
- Fabbrica del Vapore
- PIME Auditorium
- Various civic libraries and neighbourhood cultural hubs
More than just screenings, many venues offer introductions, guided listening, and a warm, communal atmosphere. It’s a beautiful way to experience Italian culture side by side with locals.
2. Live on Italian TV
The performance is broadcast nationally on RAI 1 and on RAI Radio 3.
If you’re in Italy, simply switch on the TV in the early evening – the elegance, music, and emotion of La Scala come directly into your home.
3. Streaming Online
International viewers can often follow the opera on RAIPlay, the public broadcaster’s online platform.
It may be geo-restricted, but when available, it’s an extraordinary opportunity to experience the event from anywhere in the world.
And if you are learning Italian, watching with subtitles is an excellent way to improve your listening skills –
a mix of language, art, and culture all in one moment.
How Students and Visitors Can Make the Most of the Experience
For anyone studying Italian in Milan, La Prima is more than an event: it is a linguistic and cultural treasure.
- Attend a Prima Diffusa screening with classmates: share the excitement of the evening.
- Use Italian subtitles: they help you understand vocabulary, emotions, and nuances.
- Learn simple opera terminology: words like libretto, scenografia, direttore, orchestra.
- Visit the La Scala Museum: admire historical costumes, stage designs, and rarities.
Experiencing a cultural event through the language you are learning deepens both understanding and emotion.
It transforms the city into an open-air classroom.
Why This Night Speaks for Milan
Milan has many faces: modern, elegant, fast-paced, international.
But on 7 December, the city shows its most poetic one.
Theatres, museums, and streets become a constellation of screens and celebrations.
Strangers watch together, applaud together, and for one evening, Milan feels like a single, united community.
Wherever you choose to experience it – a public square, a cultural venue, or a TV at home –
La Prima offers the rare sensation of witnessing a city celebrate its past while embracing its future.
Study Italian in Milan While Living Its Culture: Courses at Il Centro
If you wish to deepen your connection with Italy – its language, its people, its artistic traditions –
Il Centro – Italian Language School for Foreigners offers courses that allow you to experience Milan from the inside, not as a visitor, but as a participant.
Since 1986, we have welcomed thousands of students from all over the world.
Our teaching style is communicative, dynamic, and rooted in real-life contexts: cafés, museums, conversations, exhibitions, events like La Prima.
Italian Courses for Every Need
- Intensive group courses (morning or afternoon)
- Evening classes for professionals and students
- Online lessons with flexible scheduling
- Private tuition tailored to personal goals
- Cultural workshops dedicated to art, cinema, music, and Italian lifestyle
All levels follow the CEFR framework (A1 to C2).
If you’re not a complete beginner, you can usually start any Monday after a quick placement test.
Milan: A Classroom of Its Own
Learning Italian in Milan means learning in a city that breathes culture.
From the modern skyline of Porta Nuova to the timeless elegance of Brera, from design exhibitions to opera galas,
Milan constantly offers inspiration.
Our students often say that studying at Il Centro makes them feel more confident, more integrated, and truly part of the city.
And what better moment to begin than during the La Scala season — when Milan shows you its most enchanting side?