The Vienna State Opera is one of the top opera addresses in the world, with first-class productions of the very highest caliber and a different program every day: around 50 operas and ballet works per season, danced by the Vienna State Ballet. The variety of the operatic program is unparalleled anywhere in the world.

Highlights of the 2023/24 season

Premieres are always eagerly awaited – this season features six operas Il trittico and Turandot (both by Giacomo Puccini), Le Grand Macabre (György Ligeti), Animal Farm (Alexander Michailowitsch Raskatow), Lohengrin (Richard Wagner) and Così fan tutte (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart). 

There will also be a premiere of a children’s opera:  The Cursed Ghost Ship (directed by Nina Blum, to music by Richard Wagner) was conceived as a traveling opera through the building of the Vienna State Opera. Accompanied by a 13-piece stage orchestra, audiences will be immersed in more than just Wagner’s operatic cosmos.

In 2023/24, nine revivals are scheduled in addition to numerous performances from the repertoire: La clemenza di Tito (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart), La sonnambula (Vincenzo Bellini), Daphne (Richard Strauss), The Woman Without a Shadow (Hugo von Hofmannsthal), La fanciulla del West (Giacomo Puccini), I vespri siciliani (Giuseppe Verdi), Medea (Luigi Cherubini), Guillaume Tell (Gioachino Rossini) and The Tempest (Thomas Adès).

A highlight of the opera season is a reunion with star soprano Cecilia Bartoli when the Opéra de Monte-Carlo comes for its second guest performance at the State Opera in July 2024. There are also plans for a joint evening with Hollywood star John Malkovich.

The Vienna State Ballet is due to present two premieres at the Haus am Ring (Shifting Symmetries, The Lady of the Camellias) alongside the Nureyev Gala, all of which will be complemented by a varied dance repertoire.

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International stars from Garanca to Flórez

In 2023/24, not only will Cecilia Bartoli be back on the stage of the Vienna State Opera, but opera lovers can also look forward to reunions with international stars such as Carlos Álvarez (as Michele in Il tabarro as Gianni Schicchi as well as Jack Rance in La fanciulla del West), Juan Diego Flórez (as Arnold in Guillaume Tell, Alfredo Germont in La traviata and in a soloist concert), Elina Garanca (as Kundry in Parsifal), Asmik Grigorian (as Turandot as well as in a soloist concert), Anna Netrebko (as Manon Lescaut as well as in a soloist concert), Erwin Schrott (as Scarpia in Tosca and Giovanni da Procida in I vespri siciliani) and Pretty Yende (as Amina in La sonnambula).

Subtitles at the push of a button

Audience members can individually switch on subtitles – in German, English, Italian, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Japanese. The 2,021 displays at the seats also offer information about the cast and contents of the performance (in German or English). By the way, the subtitles are shown manually by pushing a button, since no two performances are identical in terms of tempo.

Vienna Opera Ball

For one night of the year, the Vienna State Opera transforms into a large dance floor – for the Vienna Opera Ball, considered to be the biggest meeting point in Austria for artists, politicians and businesspeople from around the world. Over a hundred debutant couples in long evening gown and tails open the ball of balls.

Glorious architecture

During guided tours, you can take a peek behind the scenes of the mighty opera house. The State Opera was erected between 1863 and 1869 as one of the first prestigious buildings on the then newly-created Ringstrasse boulevard. The 120-meter long intermission halls of the State Opera connect to frame the main staircase. To the right of the stairs lies the Gustav Mahler Hall. Gustav Mahler left his mark on opera like no other during his ten years as Director - with an unprecedented opera reform.

Explore this magnificent building of the Vienna State Opera virtually and in the VR experience "Wiener Staatsoper VR – Beyond the Scenes" - with insights in 360 degrees: dive into the world of opera, in front of and behind the scenes...

Shopping tip: A premium souvenir store is located within the arcades of the Vienna State Opera: Hamtil & Söhne offers classy souvenirs, including many with a connection to opera and ballet, of course.