Last week, world-renowned Mexican conductor Alondra de la Parra picked up her baton and addressed the camera. “Hey Timothée, I’m sorry you don’t wanna be a part of this. Maybe you wanna reconsider? And we’re not trying to keep it alive. It is pretty much alive!” she said in a video posted to Instagram, before turning and sweeping her baton toward the orchestra. The message was aimed at Timothée Chalamet, whose recent remarks about ballet and opera have stirred a debate across the performing arts world.
Speaking in February at the University of Texas about preserving cinema, Chalamet said he would not want to work in fields like ballet or opera, describing them as art forms where people say, “Hey, keep this thing alive, even though like no one cares about this anymore.” He quickly added, “All respect to all the ballet and opera people out there.” Unfortunately for him, artists and institutions saw through that. We are nodding in agreement and doing what we do best — bringing you some of the world’s most iconic opera houses, where a single visit is enough to confirm Alondra de la Parra’s point.
Iconic opera houses worth planning a trip around
Palais Garnier, Paris, France
The Palais Garnier opened in 1875 as the lavish home of the Paris Opera, its ornate Beaux-Arts façade and gilded interiors designed by architect Charles Garnier. Today, the historic theatre shares the Paris Opera season with the Opéra Bastille and continues to host major productions and ballet performances. Recent programming includes the ballet Impressions (March 11 to 28, 2026), while the wider season features operas such as Bizet’s Carmen, Puccini’s Tosca and John Adams’s Nixon in China.
The building also houses a library, museum and permanent art collection and famously inspired The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. Visitors can explore its grand staircase and salons on a 90-minute self-guided tour (EUR 25 or MYR 113 outside the EEA) or guided tours from EUR 11 (approximately MYR 50).
- Address: Pl. de l’Opéra, 75009 Paris, France
Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, Russia
“Russia’s cultural heart”, the Bolshoi Theatre has long stood just steps from the Kremlin and Red Square, its neoclassical façade crowned by Apollo’s quadriga and its stage home to the famed Bolshoi Ballet and Opera. It’s a fitting description for a theatre whose packed 2026 calendar ranges from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet and Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty to Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia and the opera premiere of Iolanta. Hardly the schedule of an art form no one cares about. Even if you miss a performance, guided tours reveal the opulent auditorium, the vast crystal chandelier and richly gilded interiors restored during the theatre’s six-year renovation completed in 2011.
- Address: Theatre Square, 1, Moscow, Russia, 125009
Also, check out our guide to the best places to visit in Russia.
Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia
The Sydney Opera House is one of the world’s most recognisable cultural landmarks, drawing more than 8 million visitors a year to its sail-shaped roofs on Sydney Harbour. Opened by Elizabeth II in 1973 and designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the UNESCO-listed venue remains a working stage as much as a tourist icon.
Visitors can join guided, architectural or backstage tours that explore rehearsal rooms, the orchestra pit and the famous harbourfront terraces. Performances continue throughout the year, with the 2026 season featuring Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Turandot and the long-running concert series Great Opera Hits in the Joan Sutherland Theatre.
- Address: Bennelong Point, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
National Theatre, Prague, Czech Republic
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The National Theatre (Národní divadlo) is the Czech Republic’s national stage, first opened in 1881 after being funded by a nationwide public collection. After a devastating fire, the Neo-Renaissance theatre reopened in 1883 and remains one of Prague’s defining cultural landmarks. Its richly gilded interiors feature works by leading 19th-century Czech artists, including Mikoláš Aleš and František Ženíšek.
Today, the theatre hosts opera, ballet and drama performances across its venues, with tickets released up to 6 months in advance. English-language guided tours explore the auditorium, foyers and terrace overlooking the Vltava River, offering visitors a closer look at the building’s art, architecture and historic role in Czech cultural life.
- Address: Národní 2/110 00, 110 00 Nové Město, Czechia
Also, check out our guide to the best countries to visit in Eastern Europe.
Royal Ballet and Opera, London, the UK
The Royal Ballet and Opera stand in Covent Garden at the heart of London’s West End. It was rebuilt in 1858 after the previous theatre on the site was destroyed by fire in 1856. The venue has a long performance history dating back to the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, where entertainers such as the clown Joseph Grimaldi appeared in the early 19th century.
During World War I, the building was used as a furniture repository. Today it is home to The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet, with productions such as Verdi’s Rigoletto, Wagner’s Siegfried and the ballet Giselle scheduled in 2026. Visitors can also join guided tours exploring rehearsal areas and backstage spaces.
- Address: Bow St, London WC2E 9DD, United Kingdom
Royal Swedish Opera House, Stockholm, Sweden
If you are planning to visit Stockholm soon, catching the Royal Swedish Opera’s 2026 lineup might just be the “best thing to do” you can add to your itinerary, from Puccini’s Madama Butterfly (March 21 May to 27, 2026) to the ballet Lifar/Forsythe (April 1 to 29), plus Askungen, a Cinderella retold for kids and teens. Located in central Stockholm, opposite the Royal Palace and Parliament, this national stage delivers world-class opera, ballet, and youth productions. Founded by King Gustav III in 1773, the company has been setting the bar ever since.
- Address: Gustav Adolfs torg 2, 111 52 Stockholm, Sweden
Also, do not forget to bookmark our roundup of the most beautiful places in Sweden.
Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Italy
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“It is one of the most important opera houses in the world,” states the official tourism website of Italy, “built on the ashes of Teatro Ducale by [the] will of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, and inaugurated in 1778.” Located in central Milan, the theatre was designed by architect Giuseppe Piermarini and built between 1776 and 1778. Over the centuries, it has hosted major composers and performers, including Giuseppe Verdi, Maria Callas and Luciano Pavarotti.
Today, its programmes at Teatro alla Scala include opera productions such as Turandot, Pelléas et Mélisande, Carmen and La traviata, alongside ballet performances including Don Quixote, Giselle and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. If you find the performances sold out, go explore the adjacent La Scala Museum, which offers views into the theatre and exhibitions on its history.
- Address: V. Filodrammatici, 2, 20121 Milano MI, Italy
Vienna State Opera, Vienna, Austria
Located along Vienna’s Ringstrasse, the historic opera house stages more than 300 opera and ballet performances each season and remains central to Austrian cultural life. Along with catching a performance, it’s also worth booking the Vienna State Opera’s 40-minute guided tour, exploring the grand staircase, state rooms and auditorium.
These are offered in German and English, with tickets available online or at the box office shortly before departure. Prices start at EUR 15 (approximately MYR 68) for adults, EUR 11 (approximately MYR 49) for seniors and EUR 9 (approximately MYR 40) for students, apprentices and children over six. In the warmer months, free outdoor screenings let audiences catch some performances outside the theatre under the open sky.
- Address: Opernring 2, 1010 Wien, Austria
Also, embrace new adventures over 10 days with this immersive Austria itinerary.
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York, US
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You might do a double-take when you first see the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. New York is one of the world’s busiest cultural capitals, but this vast campus on Manhattan’s Upper West Side gathers many of its most important institutions in one place. Built in the 1960s on the site of the former San Juan Hill neighbourhood, the complex is home to the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic and the New York City Ballet.
From the outside, its gleaming modernist buildings frame the central Revson Fountain, creating a monumental civic plaza. Inside, the Metropolitan Opera House reveals soaring foyers and Marc Chagall’s vibrant murals. Judging by the packed performance calendar, the curtain is far from falling here.
- Address: Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023, United States
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(Feature image credit: Salvador Maniquiz/Shutterstock)
This article first appeared here
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.