Teatro Colón

One of the world’s finest opera houses for acoustics. This horseshoe-shaped golden hall, completed in 1908, lets you take a guided tour or see an opera or ballet for a modest price.

The Teatro Colón opened in 1908 after 20 years of work by three architects in succession. It blends Italian Renaissance, French and German styles. Acoustic experts rank it among the world’s five great opera houses, and Pavarotti said its sound was so perfect that singers have nowhere to hide. The main auditorium is horseshoe-shaped, with seven tiers of boxes that seat 2,478 people, or nearly 3,000 with standing room. Gold carvings, red velvet seats and a dome mural by Argentine painter Raúl Soldi, completed in 1966, surround a central chandelier 7 meters in diameter with 700 bulbs. There are two ways to experience it. The first is a guided tour of about 50 minutes, in Spanish or English, offered daily from 9:00 to 17:00 every 15–30 minutes. It costs about ARS 25,000–30,000 for foreigners and can be booked on the official website or at the box office. The tour passes the White Room, the Golden Hall (modeled on the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles) and the main auditorium. The second is to attend a performance. The season runs from March to December and includes opera, ballet and symphony concerts. Tickets range from a few thousand pesos for top-tier standing room to over USD 200 for boxes, and can be bought at teatrocolon.org.ar. The top tier, called Paraíso, has limited views but excellent sound, making it the most affordable way to experience the theater. Family-oriented daytime performances are held on weekends. The theater stands on Avenida 9 de Julio facing Lavalle Plaza, five minutes’ walk from the Obelisk, and the exit of Tribunales station on Line D is right next to it. Formal dress is not required, but avoid shorts and flip-flops. Arrive 30 minutes before a performance. There is a café for the intermission. Tours are busy, so book early.

Teatro Colón

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