Piccolo Spoleto Festival schedule announced; tickets on sale for 17-day arts festival

The 34th annual Piccolo Spoleto Festival, produced and directed by the city of Charleston’s Office of Cultural Affairs, announced its final schedule Tuesday.

The festival opens May 25 and runs through June 10. It offers a variety of arts and cultural programs, including theater, blues, jazz, chamber music, early music, dance, literary and visual arts as well as many admission-free and family-friendly events.

Tickets are on sale at its Gaillard Municipal Auditorium box office, 77 Calhoun St., as well as at the Charleston Visitor Center, 375 Meeting St. Tickets also are available by calling the Piccolo Spoleto Festival box office hotline at 866-811-4111, or visiting www.piccolospoleto.com.

The festival is the city’s answer to the international Spoleto Festival USA.

“During Piccolo Spoleto the city becomes a stage,” Founding Director Ellen Dressler Moryl said. “Piccolo makes the Spoleto Festival USA experience accessible for everyone and showcases the crème de la crème of artists and performers from throughout the Southeastern United States. There’s a huge array of theatre productions, dance programs, concerts and presentations with something to please every taste!”