This is an occasion to step back in time for a few moments but also take a snapshot of how Paris’ mythical theatre is creatively shaping operatic history for today’s and tomorrow’s generations, opening its doors to new voices from new horizons.

When Marshal MacMahon – president of the French Republic and descendant of Irish nobility – inaugurated the Palais Garnier in 1875, two thousand guests filled the deep red and gold theatre.

One man, however, was missing from the guest list, the architect of the masterpiece. Charles Garnier, whose vision of theatrical and imperial splendour was excluded on political grounds. Empire had given way to Republic during the 14-year construction, and Garnier’s rapport with Napoleon III, who commissioned the new opera house, cost him his seat. He quietly bought his own ticket for 120 francs.

On that same inauguration evening, the guests discovered Charles Garnier’s art of receiving. The 19th century architect wanted his palace to be as spectacular, inspiring, majestic and sublime as possible, so that serious operas and ballets could be better appreciated.

It was also in the winter of 1959 when Georges Bizet’s Carmen first made its debut in Opéra Garnier becoming a ‘serious opera’. Back in 1875, Carmen, caused quite a scandal in Paris. « A free-spirited fiery woman » did not go down well. Carmen was consequently refused in this opera house for decades.

Fast-forward 150 years, Opéra Garnier is where tradition meets contemporary creativity.

A labyrinth of 17 kilometers of corridors lies hidden behind the scenes and the opulence. On a recent evening just before the first performance of Il Viaggio, Dante, a contemporary opera composed by Pascal Dusapin, the backstage hums with energy. In the make-up room, laughter and powder fill the air; a soprano warms up her voice in a distant hallway.

Laurent Laberdesque, baritone singer since 2013 with the Opéra de Paris choir talks enthusiastically before his performance begins about what’s makes this contemporary opera so singular: « We all dream of having Verdi explain to us what he really wanted in La Traviata or in Aida, we can read books about that, but we can’t have this first hand experience as we have had with the living composer of this opera, Pascal Dusapin. He comes to meet us at each rehearsal to explain to us exactly what he wants, the thinking and the intention behind different moments of breathing as we sing. »  Another particularity about Dusapin’s inspiring approach in composing this contemporary opera is the merging the two musical elements: the orchestra and choir united in the pit, in what he calls ‘a vocal orchestra’.

In the orchestra pit, musicians are busily tuning their instruments with precision.  Petteri Iivonen, the solo violinist with the Opéra de Paris orchestra since 2019, is about to join them. « To play in Palais Garnier is always quite a special thing, this palace is really beautiful inside and outside…but it takes a certain level of adjusting acoustically to the singers on the stage here. The general acoustic tends to be quite dry which is fantastic for the voices but quite tricky for string instruments. In practical terms we change our style of playing in Opéra Garnier compared to the new modern house Opéra Bastille » – that opened in 1989.

Il Viaggio, Dante, an adaptation of the Divine Comedy – a founding text of Italian literature and a pillar of European culture – made its entrance into the repertoire of the Opéra National de Paris in March 2025.

« We don’t have that many opportunities to play contemporary opera music, it’s a lot of Verdi, Puccini and Mozart. I didn’t know much about Dusapin before this opera. In the beginning I felt that we were searching for the right style, the colour, the sound…Once we got to the stage rehearsals with the singers, the pieces of the puzzle started to fall into their correct places… You’re not just performing music, you’re participating in shaping it. », said Petteri Iivonen.

As part of Paris Opera Director Alexander Neef’s move to cultivating innovative artistic vision for future generations, he is opening the doors wide to artists from new horizons. The distinguished British actor Ralph Fiennes will step into Palais Garnier not as an actor but to bring his vision to a new production of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin from 26th January to 27th February 2026.

Fascinated by Russian culture and passionate about the dramatic intensity of Tchaikovsky’s music – and having played the role of Eugene Onegin in the 1999 cinematic adaptation –  Ralph Fiennes will bring a fresh take on Alexander Pushkin’s timeless story that he describes as  “a love story that doesn’t work”.

He will collaborate with an eminent creative team, including conductor Semyon Bychkov, set designer Michael Levine, and costume designer Annemarie Woods.

In a gesture to incite the younger generation to discover opera, the Opéra National de Paris is offering seats for 10€ to GenZ for a preview of Onegin on 23rd January.

Equally intriguing and on an entirely different note, what is Gandhi’s influence on contemporary politics? This is what Philip Glass will explore in Satyagraha, an opera that also enters the Opéra de Paris repertoire, evoking the birth of Gandhi’s political, philosophical and spiritual thinking and will be performed at Opéra Garnier starting 10th April 2026.

This is precisely what makes Garnier’s program compelling: an institution honouring its past while illuminating the future.

A special commemorative program will marlk the anniversary « Palais Garnier: 150 years of a mythical theatre – until 15th February 2026 »

To mark the 150th anniversary of the Palais Garnier, the Bibliothèque Nationale de France and the Paris National Opera are dedicating an anniversary exhibition to this iconic monument of the French capital. Featuring a rich diversity of items, including paintings, drawings, posters, photographs, books, manuscripts, costumes and objects, the exhibition traces the history of this theatre, where heritage and artistic creation, historical events and news stories, fantasies and legends intertwine. It provides insight into how the Palais Garnier became, beyond the borders of France, a temple of opera and ballet, a national emblem and an iconic monument.

A unique costume exhibition until 31st January 2026 marking the 150th anniversary of the Palais Garnier showcases absolute treasures from Giselle, Faust, Romeo and Juliet, The Marriage of Figaro and more. These pieces bear testimony to the tremendous source of inspiration that the Palais Garnier was for costume designers, choreographers, directors and set designers.

A special themed tour explores the opulent architecture and hidden treasures of the Palais Garnier. Visitors learn about the history of this theatre, a reflection of political power and a venue for social events since the Second Empire of France: its construction, architectural influence and artistic impact, and technical innovations.

« The thing I love most about Opéra Garnier is the history—knowing you’re walking in the same corridors as people from decades and centuries ago” says Laurent Laberdesque  baritone singer with the Opéra de Paris choir.

One hundred and fifty years after its opening, Opéra Garnier remains a palace where the past sets the stage — and the future steps into the spotlight.

https://www.operadeparis.fr/info/150-ans-du-palais-garnier#expositions