This is an inclusive
list of opera festivals and summer opera seasons, and
music festivals which have
opera productions. This list may have some overlap with
list of early music festivals. Opera is part of the Western
classical music tradition, and has long been performed for audiences on a large-scale format. It started in Italy at the end of the 16th century and soon spread through the rest of Europe. In the 18th century, Italian opera continued to dominate most of Europe (except France), attracting foreign composers such as
Handel.
Opera seria was the most prestigious form of Italian opera, until
Gluck reacted against its artificiality with his "reform" operas in the 1760s. Today the most renowned figure of late 18th century opera is
Mozart, and his music is at times the featured attraction of opera and early music festivals..