The Opera Box Office is open from Monday to Friday from 12:30 PM to 6:30 PM and opens one hour before the beginning of the performance on the days when there is one.
As it happens with major European opera houses, tickets can get sold out very quickly, so we recommend booking in advance: please consult the website for up-to-date information on the shows and times.
The Strasbourg Opera House, an opulent Neoclassical edifice, dates back to 1821, when it opened to great fanfare, after a couple of decades of developing the new opera house plan (the old theatre, a former granary, burned down in 1800). The building was heavily damaged by the Prussian artillery during the siege of 1870, with only its front section surviving, yet it was meticulously restored and enlarged afterward. WWII had the theatre close its doors, but when Alsace became French again, it reopened.
The facade of the Opera is decorated with sandstone statues of six muses (Calliope, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, and Terpsichore), each one corresponding to an Ionic column. Inside the building, the auditorium is 18 meters high and has 1,142 seats. The chandelier with 230 lights is an impressive piece of art.
Renowned composers and conductors such as Hans Pfitzner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Otto Klemperer, and George Szell have performed here. The Opera in Strasbourg, together with the Ballet of the Opéra national du Rhin in Mulhouse, and the Opera Studio in Colmar, form the opera company Opéra national du Rhin, of which Strasbourg is the main seat. The opera house prides itself on the professionalism of the voices, conductors, choreographers, and other artists performing there and not being shy of combining classical pieces with modern ones in its repertoire.
What’s on this season?
For those more into more material issues, the Opera offers an opportunity for fine dining in a private salon, plus access to the stage before the curtain.
The Opera’s address is 19 Place Broglie, 67000 Strasbourg. It is located in the old town part of the city and within walking distance of many other historic locations. The nearest tram stop is République, just across the canal (lines B, C, and F). Buses number 15, 72, and L6 also stop at the République nearby.
We don’t really recommend using a car downtown, as the streets are quite narrow, and parking might get tricky. However, should you prefer driving to the Opera, there is a parking garage that has a special partnership with it. Parking Opéra-Brogli is open 24/7. There is a flat rate of €2.50 for visitors of the Opera upon presentation of the ticket by the entrance of the foyer.
The Opera is the final stop of our walking tour of Strasbourg’s historic downtown that guides you through the major points of interest of the Grande Île.
Please check the ticket prices and the seating plan on the Opera’s website.