Paris Weekend Break

Opera Bastille

The Bastille district in Paris is famous for its distinct history and also for its opera houses like L'Opera de la Bastille and the Opera Garnier.

L'Opera de la Bastille (the Bastille Opera) is modern opera house that takes its name from the "Place de la Bastille" and it has a location that is connected with the "Bastille Prison" - notorious during the French revolution. The building has a mirror-glass architectural style and has achieved a landmark status as a result. Its cultural concept and access to the population as a whole was one of President Mitterrand's legacies.

The Bastille Opera was built with the intention of bringing opera to the masses and removing the associations of wealth and elite culture with which this particular art form is frequently associated. It was originally intended to replace the "Palais Garnier", but that failed to happen and opera and ballet performances still take place at that opera house today.

Location and performances

The Bastille Opera is situated at the Place de la Bastille, in Paris' 12th arrondissement and is a product of the latest theatre technology. It was designed with 2,723 seats, all presenting a perfect line of sight to the stage and its tickets regularly sell out quickly.

The opera house hosts many grand and classical operas like Tosca, Rigoletto and of course the highly popular Carmen. Performances at the Bastille Opera are popular and most of the major operas "sell out" well in advance of the shows.

L'Opera de la Bastille is the home of the "Opera National de Paris".

A bit more history

Construction of the opera house (designed by Carlos Ott) commenced in 1984 with the demolition of the "Paris Bastille" train station – this building had been opened back in 1859, but closed just over a century later in 1969.

The present day opera house was inaugurated on July 14, 1989 and this date was timed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille prison. The opening ceremony saw a spectacular concert conducted by Georges Pretre and including opera singers like the Spaniard ,Placido Domingo.

The Opera Bastille was designed to make new concepts in scenery and stage decor fit together (the three-dimensional sets that complete or replace the tromple-l'oeil of the baroque and romantic period) and for a new public.