Inaugurated on January 5, 1875, the Palais Garnier was designed by architect Charles Garnier as part of a vast project launched by Napoleon III. A masterpiece of the Second Empire style, the Palais Garnier is both a theater and a public venue for festivities and performances, hosting sumptuous operas, ballets and concerts from all over the world. More than a million visitors flock here every year, and there's no doubt that in 2025, for its 150th anniversary, many more will flock here.
To mark the occasion, theOpéra national de Paris is organizing a series of events and celebrations throughout the year: galas, concerts, exhibitions, meetings, special guided tours and artist residencies, so that as many people as possible can discover this exceptional monument.
To mark this anniversary, an exceptional gala will bring together all the artists of the Opéra national de Paris. Musicians from the Orchestra, artists from the Chorus and the Academy, stars and dancers from the Ballet, students from the Ballet School, as well as guest artists, will celebrate the anniversary of this temple to the arts, music and dance.
A special evening is planned for the occasion on France 5, with the broadcast of the documentary "Une journée extraordinaire : 24 heures à l'Opéra Garnier", directed by Priscilla Pizzato, and a slightly delayed retransmission of the Gala.
The Rolex Ambassadors Concert will feature Rolando Villazón, Juan Diego Flórez, Sir Bryn Terfel, Sonya Yoncheva and Yuja Wang alongside the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
The Académie's artists-in-residence concert on the Palais Garnier stage is one of the highlights of the season for singers, pianists and musicians in residence. With the Orchestre de l'Opéra national de Paris conducted by Patrick Lange, the Académie pays tribute to Georges Bizet, who died on June 3, 1875, a few months after the Palais Garnier was inaugurated.
This exhibition explains how the Palais Garnier became a mythical building, and how this edifice designed by Napoleon III for a select few has become a national icon, a beloved landmark and a theater with a unique program of ballets, operas and concerts beyond France's borders.
In this anniversary year, the Opéra national de Paris is presenting a selection of costumes from ballets and operas in its repertoire from the 1950s to the present day, including Les Huguenots, Giselle, Faust, Roméo et Juliette and Les Noces de Figaro. The exhibition also celebrates the 60th anniversary of Marc Chagall's painted ceiling, with an exhibition of his costumes for the ballet Daphnis et Chloé.
The Opéra national de Paris is organizing a series of meetings to look back at the monument's titanic construction site, the technical innovations that accompanied it, and its relationship with political power and artistic creation, not forgetting the public that brings it to life. Historians, architects, politicians, journalists, musicians, artists and philosophers will be invited to debate and discuss this mythical site.
The Opéra national de Paris and Arop, the Association pour le Rayonnement de l'Opéra national de Paris, are launching PROJET 12, a unique artists' residency at the heart of the famous Parisian landmark. Over the course of the year, one artist will be welcomed each month at the Palais Garnier, a veritable temple of artistic creation.
During their residency, each artist will be invited to create an exclusive work, inspired by their experience and the singular atmosphere of the Palais Garnier, just as their 19th-century predecessors were inspired by Garnier's lines and volumes to design their work.
Classified as a historic monument in 1923, the Palais Garnier is one of the most visited monuments in Paris, with over a million visitors expected by 2023. Visitors to the Palais Garnier can now enjoy a special 150th anniversary tour.
Along the way (from the Rotonde des Abonnés to the Bassin de la Pythie, the Grand Staircase, the auditorium and the Avant and Grand Foyer), they can hear about the history of this theater, mirror of political power and venue for the representation of social customs since the Second Empire.
The Opéra Garnier in Paris, one of the capital's most beautiful monuments
The Opéra Garnier is one of Paris's must-see monuments. Designed by architect Charles Garnier, this eclectic palace attracts ballet fans and history buffs alike. [Read more]
Dates and Opening Time
From January 2, 2025 to December 31, 2025
Location
Opéra de Paris - Palais Garnier
8 Rue Scribe
75009 Paris 9
Access
Metro: Opéra station (lines 3, 7 or 8) Auber (RER A)
Official website
www.operadeparis.fr
The Opéra Garnier in Paris, one of the capital's most beautiful monuments
