September 28, 2025 Alexandra Italy Travel Blog, Southern Europe Travel Blogbudget friendly trips, Cultural Attractions, Things to Do

Candlelit Venice Opera Concert at Scuola Grande di San Teodoro

If you’re wondering whether (and where) to attend an opera concert in Venice, you’ll likely hear about the amazing Teatro La Fenice. But for a more intimate experience, the Three Tenors concert at the Scuola Grande di San Teodoro is nevertheless another true gem. Here’s why it’s worth going and how it felt for me.

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Table of contents: show

“The Three Tenors” Opera a Venezia – A Concert Review

It’s a new season for magical Venice opera concerts, and, in particular, for the Orchestra I Musici Veneziani. This time, the program is dedicated to Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and the remarkable opera concert Three Tenors (inspired by Pavarotti), with several enchanting arias of the Baroque period included.

As usual, some of the most talented Venetian virtuosos and tenors are performing dressed in exquisite 18th-century costumes, in the prestigious main hall of the Scuola Grande di San Teodoro in Rialto, – one of the loveliest concert halls in Venice, I would say.

Entering Scuola Grande di San Teodoro

Opera Concert at Scuola Grande di San Teodoro Venice.jpg

The Scuola Grande di San Teodoro and its imposing, overly-white façade glowing against the night, cradled in a small Venetian Plaza – Campo San Salvador, in the very heart of the city.

What a sight! And what a contrast between the building itself and the street! It raised so tall that felt almost impossible to take one picture that could fit it all in. It’s said to be home to the oldest confraternity of Venice, founded in the 8th century as an act of devotion to the city’s first patron saint, Saint Theodore.

At the door, a man dressed in an elegant period costume checked our online GetYourGuide tickets.

He looked like he’s from a completely different era. Pure magic! He sniped fresh, crisp paper tickets in exchange of the digital ones and politely directed us upstairs. I sneaked a photo from behind so as not to make him feel awkward.

Scuola di San Teodoro Venice Concert Tickets Booth

We joined a line halfway up, only to realize it was the toilet queue, so we climbed one more level.

Venetian concert night, but glamorous… Two ladies, dressed in men’s epoch attire with flowing sleeves and tightly fitted jackets, checked our tickets once more and guided us to the back of the hall.

There were three seating areas.

We had booked the most affordable tickets—rows 13 to the end—so it was first come, first served. By the time we arrived, row 13 was already full, so we slipped into row 14. The woman in front of me wore a hairstyle as grand as the building itself. Fortunately, there was just enough space to peek sideways.

The conclusion? The shorter you are, the earlier you must arrive.

The Venue

Scuola Grande di San Teodoro Concert Hall Venice

The setting was gorgeous, with tones of deep blue and vintage gold. This wonderful hall had been designed by Baldassarre Longhena and adorned on the ceiling and walls with wooden paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries by Vassilacchi, Jacopo Palma il Giovane, Balestra, Bassano, and others.

Looking around, it didn’t seem large, but its blue carpets and curtains framed the stage beautifully. It was elegant down to the smallest detail.

Paintings on the ceiling of Scuola Grande di San Teodoro

Scuola Grande San Teodoro Venice Concert Hall

The lights dimmed, leaving only delicate wall chandeliers aglow along the perimeter of the room. They looked like slender branches climbing the walls, ending in tiny glowing lights — almost like candles. It created an intimacy that was hard to describe.

The Performance

Venice Opera Concert The Three tenors Orchestra

From the back of the hall, near where we sat, the orchestra entered one by one, carrying with them the magic of a long-vanished Baroque age. Instruments in hand, draped in the weight of history, they moved, surrounded by timid applause, toward the stage.

The women, in flowing gowns, seemed to glide across the floor like porcelain dolls, with the men following, their presence stern and ceremonial. Together, they took their places on stage and, in a single breath, awakened the air in the room with Galuppi’s Sinfonia La Diavolessa.

Moments later, the three tenors stepped into the spotlight. Their voices wrapped us in the spell of Puccini’s Tosca (E lucevan le stelle) and Turandot (Nessun dorma), Verdi’s La Traviata (Libiamo ne’ lieti calici) and Rigoletto (La donna è mobile), Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana, and so many other timeless treasures (full program above).

Sometimes they sang alone, their voices commanding in Donizetti’s Una furtiva lagrima or Leoncavallo’s Vesti la giubba. At other times they blended together, filling the hall with harmony, good mood, smiles, and an irresistible invitation to dance. The passion they carried spread through the audience.

It was as if their voices lifted the heart to the ceiling, until it whirled madly in a dance above the room, colliding with other unseen hearts in joy. From so much clapping, my hands came together as though in prayer. I cried. I had never known opera could move me to tears.

Buying Your Venice Concert Tickets

Venice Opera Concert Tickets from GetYourGuide

The concert is offered via GetYourGuide (same place where we got our tickets) by the official organizers, under the title “Venice: The Three Tenors Concert Ticket.” With a 4.8/5 rating and more than 1,400 reviews, the concert is one of the top-rated musical experiences in Venice. The rating was actually what made us buy the tickets.

Super-easy booking. We received instant confirmation by email. And afterwards, on the night of the concert, we just showed the digital voucher and walked away with two paper tickets at the entrance..

You have two options:

Pay with free cancellation: you can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Reserve now & pay later: stay flexible and secure your seat without paying immediately.

📌 Tip: This is first-come, first-served seating, so arriving early is important if you want a good spot.

Ticket Categories:

VIP Skip-the-Line Ticket – 1st to 3rd row
Standard Category A – rows 4 to 12
Standard Category B – rows 13 to 22

To explain a bit, while VIP tickets place you right in front, the hall is actually quite intimate. It isn’t very large, so no matter where you sit, you’ll be close enough to feel the music surround you.

We booked Category B, and to our surprise, many of the middle rows (Category A) were empty. Still, I would say category A is a sweet spot for value, since the middle rows feel very close to the stage.

That said, the VIP label can be misleading — the price difference doesn’t bring a dramatically different experience. If you’re on a budget, the standard tickets are absolutely fine. The only exception: if you’re shorter or simply love being right up close, then the first rows may be worth the splurge.

Either way, it’s really worth booking in advance, as this concert does sell out quickly most of the times.

So, Is the Three Tenors Concert in Venice Worth It?

I haven’t been at the Opera for a few years now.

When I was little, we had a single retro box TV with an antenna, our fragile connection to the world after communism, when new channels slowly began to appear. In our small apartment, the living room was ruled by a heavy wooden table. My grandmother would lean on her elbows at one end, her thick glasses catching the glow of the screen at the other. She never left her country, but she could watch and listen Pavarotti singing Nessun dorma from afar.

And I am here. Where so much history was written.

Maybe this is not Tosca at La Fenice, but exactly that makes it even more special. Its intimacy. The intimacy of the hall, less crowded, possible to see their faces and mimics even from the last row.

It’s an amazing show. With grandeur, humor, emotion, passion. I cried for half of the performance. The whole room screamed bravo!

If you have the chance, go! The concert is quite affordable and it was over our expectations.