The second-largest opera house in Austria, the Graz Opera brings grand musical theatre to the capital of Styria in a sumptuous building that opened in 1899. Designed by the Viennese theatre architects Fellner and Helmer, who built playhouses across central Europe, it was raised in a richly decorated neo-baroque style to give the prosperous provincial city a stage worthy of the imperial era. Inside, the auditorium glows with gilded plasterwork, painted ceilings, plush seating and tiers of boxes, recreating the opulence of a great court theatre, while modern technical facilities behind the scenes allow it to mount ambitious productions of opera, operetta, ballet and musical theatre. As the home of the Graz opera and ballet companies, the house presents a full and varied season, ranging from the canonical works of Mozart, Verdi and Wagner to contemporary commissions, dance and family productions, serving both the city and the wider region. A striking modern sculpture, a twisting blue form known as the Light Sword, stands on the square in front of the opera as a memorial, providing a bold contemporary counterpoint to the historic facade behind it. Graz, with its well-preserved old town and lively cultural scene, is a Unesco World Heritage city, and the opera house is one of the pillars of its artistic life, drawing audiences from across Styria. Its central location, on a square ringed by cafes and within easy walking distance of the historic core, makes attending a performance an easy pleasure for visitors to the city. Tickets for the varied programme are sold through the opera box office and online, and even those not attending a performance can admire the grand exterior and, on guided tours, the lavish interior. The firm of Fellner and Helmer built dozens of theatres across the old Habsburg lands, and their houses share a recognisable blend of grandeur and intimacy that made opera and theatre feel like a glamorous public ritual. In Graz their design gave a confident regional capital a stage to rival the great houses of Vienna, and more than a century later the opera remains the focus of the city musical life, its varied programme drawing devoted audiences from across Styria and beyond.

Type: Theater / Concert Hall

Address: Kaiser-Josef-Platz 10, Graz, Austria

Telephone: +43 316 8000

Website: https://www.oper-graz.com

Opening Date: 16/09/1899