The Rossini Opera Festival (ROF) is an international music festival held in August of each year in Pesaro, Italy, the birthplace of the opera composer Gioachino Rossini. Its aim, in addition to studying the musical heritage of the composer, is to revive and perform his works in a unique setting that allows collaboration of scholars, artists, and audience. It is often simply referred to as the Pesaro Festival.
Performances are given in the 850-seat theatre built in 1818, the Teatro Rossini and, since 1988, the modified sports arena (Palasport) which holds 1,500, as well as, since 2006, Vitrifrigo Arena, with over 10,000. Since 2000 another venue, the Teatro Sperimentale (Experimental Theatre), has offered the opportunity to present smaller-scale or minor works by contemporaries of Rossini such as Mosca, Generali, and Coccia. The main square of Pesaro, the Piazza del Popolo, also hosts outdoor performances.[1] It will be extensively used during the Festival's 2020 season, which was modified due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2]