Cheap Opera Tickets in Europe

Cheap Opera Tickets in Vienna

How to Get Cheap Opera Tickets in Europe? Vienna Staatsoper (State Opera House)

• Buy online, on the Staatsoper website. You can find bargains if you book about a month before the performance.
• Standing room ticket on the day of the performance can be bought from the Stehplatz Kasse (standing room ticket office) located on Operngasse, a road to the left of the opera house. This ticket office is dedicated only to standing room tickets and opens 80 minutes before performance time. Get there early as a long line often forms hours before for popular operas. Standing room tickets bought on the day of the performance at the Staatsoper Stehplatz Kasse go for 10Euro!                                         
• Standing room tickets bought before the day of the performance can be purchased if you sign up for a free Austrian Federal Theater Card. You can then get your pre-performance day standing room tickets for 2-4Euro.     
• Outdoor summer screenings are held for free outside the opera house in the summer. Just check the schedule online and turn up.
  

  

                                               

Tips for Standing Room Opera Tickets

• The standing-room area at the Staatsoper is a row with upholstered support to lean on – but you will be standing!  You should run in once you have your ticket and tie a scarf around the banister in front of where you want to stand. This “reserves” your standing place. This is an accepted honor system so respect any other scarfs hung over the banister as reserved spaces.
• There is standing room in the parterre (ground level of the auditorium at the back); Balkon (balcony) and galerie (gallery). The parterre has the best views. The standing-room closest to the stage has nowhere to sneak a seat but further back you could sneak into an empty seat once the lights go down. Other opera houses allow you to sit on the steps.
• Standing room tickets are limited to one per buyer so all those attending the opera need to be present when the tickets are purchased.
• Remember that students and seniors can always get discounts.
• Matinee shows are usually cheaper than evening performances. Make inquiries but whatever you do don’t miss this unique European travel experience.

Cheap Opera Tickets for Volksoper, Vienna

Standing room tickets can be bought in a similar way to the Staatsoper tickets. Half the standing room tickets are sold a week in advance of the performance and the rest are sold at the box office on the night of the performance. Get there an hour early on the day of the performance and wait in line for tickets at 5Euro.

Cheap seats will cost 6-20Euro for the cheapest seats in the house. If there are unsold tickets on the day of the performance then pupils, students, and those under 27yrs can buy them at the box office 20min before the performance. You will need to show a photo I.D.

More Tips for Cheap Opera Tickets at Volksoper

• You can get a 10% discount if you book 8 or more tickets.
• If you have a Vienna Card (available at the Vienna tourism Office)you can get 10% discount at the box office (not valid for standing room tickets).
• There is a 75% discount for children.
• Seniors get 25% discount; they must show I.D. and can purchase their tickets prior to the actual day of the performance. February is “seniors month” so there may be more special deals for seniors (60yrs+).
• Bundestheater.at cardholders get 50% discount for tickets purchased at the box office on the night of the performance.
• If you basically just want to see inside the Volksoper then take the guided tour that lasts an hour and costs 5-7Euro (German only).
• In all the opera houses be careful of “cheap seats with partial views” where you might not see much at all. If you are willing to strain your neck then these “partial view” tickets are a great bargain.

Theater an de Wien, Vienna, Austria

Second only to the State Opera House the Theater an de Wien also offers options for those who would rather not pay an arm and a leg. Here standing-room tickets are sold up to a week in advance for 5Euro. The cheapest seats cost about 25Euro.

Other European Opera houses with cheap Tickets

Salzburg, Austria – Similarly opera seats can be bought an hour before the show in Salzburg’s exquisite theatre.

Paris, France – When in Paris you can experience their grand Opéra Garnier for between 5 and 10 Euros a seat if you come an hour before the performance.

Prague, Czech Republic – In Prague, the cheap seats can also be found online. Try seeing the Estates Theater where Mozart conducted his Don Giovanni in 1787, or the National Theatre where you can book tickets for as little as $7.

And even in the USA – Even at the New York Met you can now get last-minute tickets on the cheap. From Monday to Thursday tickets are $20 if you come 2 hours before curtain. From 10am on the day of the performance, you can get standing room tickets for $20, and $15 on a Saturday.

In New York and London, as you probably already know you can get cheap tickets at the last minute from the TKTS booth in Time Square, or Leicester Square respectively. But the real classical opera houses are found in Europe and you should go to the opera if for no other reason than to see the interior and hear the resounding acoustics.

For more unusual travel experiences in Europe and great travel tips go here.