Vienna State Opera is one of the leading opera theatres in the whole world. Here, each season nearly 350 performances from more than 60 different operas and ballets take place. Each evening you can become a witness of artists from world first-class alongside with the unique Vienna State Opera’s orchestra. The orchestra members are also members of Vienna’s philharmonic team.

The opera building is designed by two architects – Eduard van der Nüll and August Sicard von Sicardsburg in typical Neo-Renaissance style. It’s completed in 1869th year, but during the World War II a big part of the construction was destroyed by the bombings. The full opera construction ended in 1955th year.

Lots of popular musicians used to be Vienna State Opera’s directors, including Gustav Malher, Richard Straus, Herbert von Karajan, Carl Bohm, Lorin Maazel and many more. The current director is Ioan Holender.

In the most beautiful and elegant hall of Vienna State Opera the authentic Vienna’s opera ball is arranged. The opera and ballet performances literally take the audience’s breathe away only a couple of days before or after the ball. The ball is attended by nearly 5000 visitors, who dance and have fun. It’s very often when among the visitors there are celebrities, politicians, people from business and sports world.

See more Top Attractions in Vienna

What should I know before a visit of Vienna State Opera?

• You have at your disposal parking spaces where to leave your car
• There are lots of visitors, who complain about the long queues that appear during the tours with guides and that deprive them of the chance to see the building at a full value and calmly
• Due to some reason the staff of the opera isn’t the most polite one
• In April, May, June and September a big part of the performances are streamed live 100% for free on a screen at Herbert von Karajan-Platz.
• The operate offers a whole line of events that are specially tailored for the young visitors: kid’s opera, concerts, workshops, performances by the Ballet Academy or the Opera school
• The dresscode for the performances in the opera is formal. If you are not dressed appropriately, you might not get an access to the hall
• All the operas are performed in their original languages. During the performance you get an access to subtitles at several languages, including English
• If you are late for the performance, you will get an access during for the hall during the interval. If there’s no interval, you will not be able to watch the opera
• Using mobile phones or tablets during a performance is forbidden
• Making photographs or videos during a performance is forbidden, too

Useful tips regarding the tickets for the performances

• The reservation for a ticket regardless the performance is available once the pre-order review of the seasonal program (in the beginning of April) is announced. You can find the program here.
• Buy your ticket online and later, you can print it via the system not later than a day before the performance date
• It’s not possible to replace or return the tickets that are already purchased unless there’s some difference din the program
• The discounts are available for the students and school boys/girls up to 27 years old, as well as for the jobless 30 minutes before the performance starts unless the tickets aren’t all sold out
• The opera opens an hour before the performance starting time
• Subscription – includes 5 fixed performances during a season and all of them should be at a certain day from the week (you choose it). The seats are always fixed. You get a discount up to 25%
• Cycle – includes fixed combos of different performances with 3 to 5 dates per performance and refers to one season only

Guide services

Besides attending at any performance at Vienna State Opera, you can also visit it as a tourist with a guide. After all, the building is a historical monument of culture.

Take a look behind the scenes of the biggest repertoire theatres in the world and find lots of the things that are hidden for most of the ordinary audiences. During this 40-minute tour you will learn lots of interesting facts about the background history of the building, as well as its architecture. Starting from the lobby you will go straight to the stairs to reach the Tea saloon, the Marble room, Schwind foyer and the room named for Gustav Malher.

It’s not necessary to book a tour in advance. Though, please, check out the starting hours for the tours and come 15 minutes before the start of your preferred tour.

A tour in English can be arranged at any time. If you need a guide who speaks other language such as Italian, French, Russian or Japanese you should make a preliminary inquiry at any of these phone numbers + 43-1- 51444-2606, 2613 or 2614, as well as by sending a message to this address: tours@wiener-staatsoper.at.

Discounts for a tour are available for:

• Kids, students and school girls or boys up to 27 years old
• Pensioners above 65 years old

Accessibility for people with movability problems

As the building of Vienna State Opera is a historical monument, it’s not always the best place that offers ideal conditions for the visitors with movability problems. Hence, the team guarantees that these special visitors can attend at the performances with no problems

• There are specially tailored places for wheelchairs. They are, though, limited and it’s good to make a reservation in advance
• The most convenient entrance for the visitors with mobility problems is from Herbert square at the right side of Oper Wien café
• There are parking spaces, elevators, cloakrooms, snack bars and toilets for invalids
• Guide dogs are allowed to attend the performances

Top Attractions in Vienna:

Vienna – the city
Schönbrunn Palace
Hofburg Castle
Belvedere Castle
Karlskirche Church
Saint Stephen Cathedral
History of Art Museum
Natural History Museum
Albertina Museum
Museum Quartier
Hundertwasser
City Hall
The Prater
Imperial Butterfly House
Danube Cruise from Vienna
Donauturm
Naschmarkt