PlaySouth / Spoleto Festival USA

Physical theater company Machine de Cirque performs the US premiere of La Galerie at Festival Hall, 2019. Photography / Courtesy Machine de Cirque

Spring is here and with it comes Spoleto. Created in 1977 by a group of artists including Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Gian Carlo Menotti and Christopher Keene, this feast for the senses was set to be a recreation of their annual Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy. Cultivated for nearly a half century in the cultural mecca that is Charleston South Carolina, this celebration of world arts is home to icons and indies alike across an array of performing arts genres, from theater and dance; to opera, chamber, symphonic, choral, and jazz music.

The 46th annual musical arts extravaganza “internationally recognized as America’s premier performing arts festival,” Spoleto is a fully immersive experience owing to its locale. The festival sets up shop for 17 days of pure inspiration pouring from the harbor’s historic venues, from sprawling university campuses, churches, and theaters to performance halls and open air spaces, all settled on Charleston Harbor and home to a metropolis of world-famous art, architecture, and memorable amenities.

120 performances
nearly 300 artists
more than 10 world and US premieres
60,000 audience members
one incredible festival.
Spoleto. Is. Back.

​​Locations: 

Multiple Charleston, SC venues including Charleston Gaillard Center
College Of Charleston Cistern Yard
College Of Charleston Sottile Theatre
Dock Street Theatre
Festival Hall

Dates & Times:
5.27.22 – 6.12.22

Tickets & Info:
spoletousa.org

(Pictured above: Machine de Cirque | June 8 – 12 | Festival Hall)

Breathtaking stunts and live music illuminate this showcase of dizzying feats that are at once playful, poetic, and perilous. 

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