Vienna State Opera
Wiener Staatsoper
A world-class opera house on the Ring, staging a different production every night. The standing-room tickets for about €15 sold before each performance are the best value.
The Vienna State Opera opened in 1869 with a production of Mozart's Don Giovanni. It was the first grand building completed along the Ring. It was bombed during World War II and reopened in 1955. Today it is one of the world's busiest opera houses. From September to June, nearly every night features a different opera or ballet, with more than 300 performances a year. Mahler and Karajan once served as directors, and the orchestra pit is filled with members of the Vienna Philharmonic. Regular tickets cost about €15–250 and go on sale about two months in advance on the official site, wiener-staatsoper.at. Before each performance, hundreds of standing-room tickets (about €15–18) are sold at a side entrance. You must queue in person, and saving your place with a scarf is a tradition. Smart, neat dress is sufficient. If you don't attend a performance, you can join a daily guided tour (about €15, 40 minutes) that covers the grand staircase, the tea room and the auditorium. The Opera Ball, held each February, is the peak of Austria's social season. The house closes in July and August, and the 'Mozart concerts' promoted on the streets are mostly performed by tourist ensembles. Getting there: take U1, U2 or U4 to Karlsplatz station, and the opera house is right at the exit. The Golden Hall of the Musikverein is a 5-minute walk away.
Opening hours
Shows usually start around 19:00; guided tours daily in the afternoon (check official website)
Nearby sights
- Hotel Sacher & Original Sachertorte
- Albertina
- Imperial Crypt (Kapuzinergruft)
- Austrian National Library State Hall
- Musikverein
- Haus der Musik
- Secession Building
- Spanish Riding School