Bastille Opera House

Bastille Opera House

The Bastille Opera House is an opera house located on Place de la Bastille in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, France. Completed in 1989, it is the second-largest opera house in France and one of the largest in Europe. Along with the Palais Garnier, it is one of the two designated opera performance venues of the French National Opera.

The Bastille Opera House was constructed during the presidency of François Mitterrand. In 1982, Mitterrand ordered the creation of a "modern and popular" opera house in Paris to relieve the performance burden on the existing Palais Garnier. In 1983, a dedicated public institution, the Établissement Public Opéra Bastille, was established to oversee the construction. The site chosen was the disused Gare de la Bastille, located between Rue de Lyon and Rue de Charenton (the former train station had been out of service since 1969 and had been used for various exhibitions). In 1983, a competition for the opera house's design was launched, and the proposal by Canadian architect Carlos Ott was selected as the winning design. In 1984, demolition of the Gare de la Bastille began, and construction of the opera house officially commenced. On July 13, 1989, as part of the bicentennial commemoration of the Storming of the Bastille, the Bastille Opera House was inaugurated. The opening performance was the musical spectacle "La Nuit d’avant le Jour" directed by Robert Wilson, while the first opera performance was Hector Berlioz’s five-act opera "Les Troyens," which debuted on May 17, 1990.

The Bastille Opera House has a dignified and elegant overall appearance, with a gleaming glass facade that resembles a mirror. It is not only a renowned center of the arts but also one of the must-visit places in Paris.

Opéra Bastille

Must-visit reason: One of the largest opera houses in Europe

Continent where the attraction is located: Europe【Europe】

Country/Region where the attraction is located: France[France]

Province/State where the attraction is located: Île-de-France Region [Ile-de-France Region]

City where the attraction is located: Paris [Paris]