Spoleto Festival 2016 is Coming!

It may not officially be summer until June 21st, but Charleston will be heating up next month as the 40th Annual Spoleto Festival USA will be in town. The decades-old famous festival that calls Charleston home will be held from May 27 to June 12, 2016. Spoleto Festival USA is arguably Charleston’s most famous and desired festival, and includes performance shows in opera, jazz, orchestra, art, classical music, dance, symphony, theater, visual arts, and more.

The Spoleto Festival is a 17-day event that draws people to Charleston from all over the world. The festival was founded by Gian Carlo Menotti in 1977, who molded the Spoleto Festival after the “Festival of Two Worlds” in Spoleto, Italy. Menotti chose Charleston as the first (and only) US location for the festival after visiting the city and being amazed by Charleston’s cosmopolitan and old world charm, gardens, churches and performance venues, and cultural similarities to Spoleto, Italy. Over 150 performances are done over the course of the festival each year.

You will have plenty of events to choose from, with times varied throughout the day. One great thing about Spoleto Festival USA is that the festival is immersed in Charleston. While attending the festival, you will find much more to do around town when not attending a show. Performances will be held in venues all over Charleston, including the newly-renovated and lavish Gaillard Center, TD Arena, Simons Center, Saint Matthew’s Lutheran Church, Woolfe Street Playhouse, Dock Street Theater, the College of Charleston Cistern Yard, and more.

There are various ticket packages available. Tickets can be purchased online, over the phone, or at the box office at the Charleston Visitors Center at 375 Meeting Street. Spoleto Festival offers discounts to military, seniors, and students, and also to groups of 12 or more. Children are welcome to the events and will call is available. The Spoleto festival schedule can be found here. There are plenty of hotels nearby, and street side and garage parking is available. Enjoy pictures from past festivals here.