2026 marks the 50th anniversary since the inauguration of Teatru tal-Opra Aurora, the seat of the Leone Philharmonic Society in Victoria Gozo. It is an anniversary that will be celebrated through various events, and on various counts, the first of which will be a tribute to its historic contribution to cinema heritage. Hence, Aurora Resounds - an evening of film music by the Leone Band and conductor Colin Attard on Saturday, 24 January at 8pm.
Many are those who know the Aurora as an opera house and rightly so. But Aurora (1976) carries the name and the legacy of a former Aurora (1963), the outright foremost cinema on the island. The first Aurora itself carried the torch of a former Royal Talkies, the first ever talkies in Gozo, opened on 5 January 1931. It ran silent movies shows every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for four years, until Two Hearts in Waltztime became the first ever talking movie screened on the island in January 1935.
To the Aurora are credited the glorious days of cinema in Gozo in its golden age. Quite naturally, however, the death of cinema within the Aurora, in 1997, marked a natural transition and evolution as cinema technology became more advanced and sophisticated and moved into specific cinema theatres. Yet, the Aurora with two pairs of fully functioning projectors stands as a temple and sanctuary of cinema heritage on the island. Aurora Resounds will celebrate all of this, with an extraordinary display of cinema machinery, memorabilia, archived footage and interviews, and above all, sumptuous musical masterpieces that made the greatest blockbusters so memorable.
Aurora Resounds is the opening event of the 2026-2027 50th anniversary special season celebrating the 50 years of Aurora (1976) and opera in Gozo (1977). It is organised by the Leone Philharmonic Society and Teatru tal-Opra Aurora, supported by the Cultural Heritage Directorate within the Ministry for Gozo and Planning.
Entrance is free and reservations are strongly recommended. The concert starts at 8pm. Other events in the season, for which tickets are already out on sale include the opera La Traviata, on 17 October.
For tickets kindly phone on +356 7904 5779; email: [email protected] or visit www.teatruaurora.com
A story to be retold
Hence, Aurora Resounds appeals to all those who love cinema and cinema music. But it will also be a trip down memory lane for those who can reminisce the golden days of the 1970s when the Aurora was being built as the largest community project on the island. The evening will come with lots of music but also with a powerful narrative of which many can share. To this end, the Aurora administration is calling on all those, locals and foreigners, who have a story to share about the Aurora, to establish contact and contribute to an extraordinary collection of stories being compiled about the place, its people and its guests. Stories are welcomed in writing on [email protected] or by appointment on +356 7904 5779.