The one-hour concert
Neapolitan songs performed live without microphones by a line-up that changes with the date, some drinks, and a closing sing-along to 'O sole mio. Meet under the Galleria Principe di Napoli.
See open dates and fares ↗The tradition
Naples has been sending its songs round the world since the 19th century
- A genre of its own
- Canzone napoletana is a traditional form of song sung in the Neapolitan language, mostly love songs and serenades. Many are about a nostalgic longing for Naples as it once was, which is why they travel so well with people far from home.
- A contest made it
- In the 1830s an annual song-writing competition at the Piedigrotta festival turned Neapolitan song into a formal institution. Publishers, poets and later tenors such as Enrico Caruso carried the winners across the world.
- Songs you already know
- 'O sole mio, Funiculì, Funiculà, Santa Lucia and Torna a Surriento are the genre's best-known pieces. You may have heard them in films, adverts and pizzerias long before you ever heard them in Naples.
- A different hour each date
- The line-up changes from day to day, with a different performer featured on each date. The constant is the finale: a sing-along to 'O sole mio that the whole room joins.
A listening list
Six songs the genre is built on
These are the Neapolitan songs most people have already heard. The programme changes with the performers and the date, so read this as a listening list, not a running order.
- 1849
Santa Lucia
A boatman's invitation to sail the cool evening water off the Borgo Santa Lucia waterfront, and the first Neapolitan song translated into Italian.
- 1880
Funiculì, Funiculà
Written for the first funicular railway on Mount Vesuvius and presented at the Piedigrotta festival the same year.
- 1894
Torna a Surriento
Ernesto De Curtis wrote the music and his brother Giambattista the words; a popular tradition ties it to 1902 and a visit by a Prime Minister.
- 1898
'O sole mio
The title means my sun. Giovanni Capurro wrote the words; the music is credited to Eduardo di Capua and Alfredo Mazzucchi.
- After 1950
Malafemmena
A song by Totò, counted among the Neapolitan classics written since 1950.
- After 1950
Maruzzella
Renato Carosone's postwar hit, a classic in its own right and a sign that Neapolitan song kept moving.
Years come from the song histories in the guides. The performers choose each programme, and the hour always closes with the 'O sole mio sing-along.
Meeting point
Where the hour begins
The concert meets under a 19th-century arcade beside the National Archaeological Museum. Here is what to know before you arrive.
- The arcade
- You meet under the arcades of the Galleria Principe di Napoli, Piazza Museo Nazionale 10/11, between the Art Academy and the National Archaeological Museum.
- Arrive early
- Guests are asked to arrive 15 minutes before the start. Start times for each day are listed in the booking calendar.
- A covered meeting point
- The gallery has three arms under a glass-and-iron roof and was completed in 1883, so the place you wait is sheltered.
- No microphones
- The performers use no microphones or other amplification, so you hear voices and instruments as they are.
- Some drinks
- The GetYourGuide ticket includes some drinks with the one-hour performance. It is not a dinner.
- A hosted hour
- Musicians, singers, actors and dancers appear on the bill, with a different performer featured each day, and the hour ends in a sing-along.
Places and faces behind the songs
The bay, the arcade, the opera house and the tenor
These photographs show the Bay of Naples at dusk, the arcade's entrance, an opera house, a famous tenor, a Vesuvius engraving, the waterfront and a Neapolitan mandolin. None of them shows the concert itself.
Ways to hear Naples
Three ways to hear the songs of Naples
| Option | What you get | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| The one-hour concert | Neapolitan songs performed live without microphones by a line-up that changes with the date, some drinks, and a closing sing-along to 'O sole mio. Meet under the Galleria Principe di Napoli. | Visitors who want a short, sociable first taste of canzone napoletana. |
| An opera at the Teatro di San Carlo | A staged opera with an orchestra in an opera house that opened in 1737. Dates and tickets come from the theatre, on its own season calendar. | Opera lovers with a free evening and an appetite for a longer night. |
| Booking terms for the concert | Pay later is possible, and a GetYourGuide booking is refunded in full when cancelled a day or more before the start. | Travellers whose dates may still move. |
Book the concert
The Neapolitan music concert
A single ticket, a single hour and one meeting point. Open the calendar to compare dates and see the fare for your group.
More ways to fill a Naples day
Practical points
Plan your hour
- 1
Choose the date first
Dates are likely to sell out. Pick the day in the booking calendar, then choose the start time that suits the rest of your evening.
- 2
Arrive 15 minutes early
Be at the meeting point a quarter of an hour before the start, and allow a little longer to find the arcade the first time.
- 3
Find the arcade
The meeting point is under the arcades of the Galleria Principe di Napoli, between the Art Academy and the National Archaeological Museum, on Piazza Museo.
- 4
Know what the ticket covers
The ticket covers the one-hour performance and some drinks. Dinner is separate, so reserve a table elsewhere if you want one.
- 5
Songs in Neapolitan
The songs are sung in Neapolitan, so expect not to follow every word. The tune and the finale sing-along are easy to join without them.
- 6
If plans change
If your dates move, cancel a day or more ahead on a GetYourGuide booking for a full refund, or hold the date now and pay later.
Six guides
The songs, the city and the arcade
- 01 What to expect and how to book Neapolitan concert in Naples What the one-hour concert of Neapolitan songs is, what the ticket covers, how it compares with an opera night and how to pick a date. Open this guide →
- 02 Meeting point and planning the visit Galleria Principe di Napoli Where the Neapolitan concert meets, what the arcade and the museum beside it are, how to arrive and what to do around the hour. Open this guide →
- 03 Where the songs come from Canzone napoletana history A short history of Neapolitan song, from the Piedigrotta festival and its song contests to the tenors who carried it round the world. Open this guide →
- 04 The song that ends the hour 'O sole mio: the story Who wrote 'O sole mio, how its music was credited and disputed, and how an 1898 Neapolitan song became a worldwide favourite. Open this guide →
- 05 Songs you may already know Funiculì, Santa Lucia and more The stories behind Funiculì, Funiculà, Santa Lucia and Torna a Surriento, plus two songs from after 1950, as a listening list. Open this guide →
- 06 The words behind the music The Neapolitan language in song What Neapolitan is, how it sounds and why the songs of Naples are sung in it rather than in standard Italian. Open this guide →
FAQ
Quick answers before you book
How long is the Neapolitan music concert?
One hour. Each date's start times are in the booking calendar, and your confirmation has the details for the day.
Where is the meeting point?
Under the arcades of the Galleria Principe di Napoli, Piazza Museo Nazionale 10/11, between the Art Academy and the National Archaeological Museum. Arrive 15 minutes early.
Does the concert use microphones?
No. The performers use no microphones or other amplification, so you hear the voices and instruments as they are.
Are drinks included?
The GetYourGuide ticket includes some drinks along with the one-hour performance. Dinner is not part of the ticket.
Which songs will I hear?
The programme changes with the performers and the date. The hour always ends with a sing-along to 'O sole mio.
Do I need to speak Italian?
No. The songs are in Neapolitan, but the music carries the hour, and guests who knew none of the words describe the sing-along as a highlight.
Is the line-up the same every night?
No. A different performer is featured on each date, so the hour sounds a little different from one day to the next.
Can I cancel?
Yes. A GetYourGuide booking is refunded in full when cancelled a day or more before the start, and you can hold a date now and pay later.
An hour of the songs Naples gave the world, sung the way the city sings them.
Book the Neapolitan concert ↗The fare above is the lowest on offer. It moves with the day you choose and the number of people, and the booking page gives the exact amount in your own currency before you commit.