Based on Florida’s beautiful Gulf Coast, Sarasota Opera is now in its 63rd season. This amazing venue underwent a $20 million-dollar renovation to restore the historic 1926 theatre. Enjoy world-class opera while soaking up the sun and unique old Florida charm on a holiday to Sarasota.  Join us for Opera Lovers Week 17-25 March 2023 to see Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Massenet’s Thérèse, Verdi’s Ernani and Puccini’s Madama Butterfly as part of the Sarasota Opera Winter Festival. This really is the ultimate opera experience. 

As well as nights at the opera, you will get to explore Sarasota's award-winning white sandy beaches and clear warm seas paired with the world-class art and culture of the John & Mable Ringling Museum and the Ca d’Zan Mansion. Located just an hour south of Tampa, the city of Sarasota is on the mainland, while the beaches are on the keys (or islands) which are reached by a causeway across Sarasota Bay. All of the hotel properties are located on, or within a short walk to the beach with great shops and restaurants nearby. 

On arrival, pick up and transfer to your hotel. The Aloft Sarasota is a boutique hotel which offers unparalleled access to several of the downtown's most beloved locales, including St. Armand's Circle, Ed Smith Stadium and Marie Selby Botanical Gardens®. Meet and mingle with friends at the W XYZ® bar, where you can relax and listen to live music. Grab a snack from Re:fuel by Aloft, the 24-hour pantry, or sip cocktails while taking a dip in the rooftop pool at Splash Pool Bar. Rooms feature savvy décor, complimentary Wi-Fi and pillow top mattresses. Aloft Sarasota offers friendly service and modern amenities. 

Overnight Aloft Sarasota 8 nights room only

Don Giovanni - Opera in two acts (sung in Italian). Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte.

Mozart’s most famous opera is a comic and tragic masterpiece. Set in 17th century Spain, this tale of obsession, betrayal, crime, and retribution centres around the infamous lover Don Juan, who leaves a path of broken hearts wherever he goes.

Thérèse - Opera in two acts (sung in French). Music by Jules Massenet, Libretto by Jules Claretie.

A love triangle during the French Revolution is the setting for this rarely heard work. Thérèse is torn between love for her former lover and her affection and duty towards her husband. Moments of lyrical beauty are punctuated by the drama of the “Reign of Terror” in this opera. 

Ernani - Dramma lirico in four acts (sung in Italian). Music by Giuseppe Verdi, Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave.

The bandit Ernani has lost his land, wealth, and title, and faces competing suitors, including the king, as he pursues his true love, Elvira. One of the greatest of Verdi’s early works encompasses love, honour, and tragedy with passionate choruses, emotional arias, and a stirring score.

Madama Butterfly - Opera in three acts (sung in Italian). Music by Giacomo Puccini, Libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa.

A young geisha known affectionately as Madama Butterfly is swept off her feet by an American Naval Officer. Left with a promise that he would return one day, Butterfly waits faithfully for three years, but is met with heartbreak in one of opera’s most enduring tragedies.

Transfer to Tampa Airport for your flight to UK.