Municipal Theater

The Municipal Theatre, in Rio de Janeiro

The Municipal Theatre of Rio de Janeiro is a sumptuous building inspired by the Opéra Garnier of Paris, one of the most beautiful of Brazil. The Rio de Janeiro audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this temple of lyric art and spectacle, jewel of the Cinelândia square.

The jewel inspired by the Opéra Garnier

You arrive facing the beautiful Municipal Theatre of Rio. If it vaguely evokes something, it is quite simply because it was built on the model of the Opéra Garnier of Paris. It is considered one of the most beautiful and most important cultural buildings of Brazil. Inaugurated at the beginning of the twentieth century, at the time when Rio, then capital of the country, was modernising at great expense on the model of the European capitals, the theatre embodies the ambition and the refinement of the Carioca Belle Époque. Its magnificent façade, adorned with sculptures, columns, domes and eagles, and its sumptuous interior, adorned with marbles, bronzes, stained-glass windows, frescoes and gildings, make of it a true palace dedicated to the arts. The great Italian-style hall, of a rare elegance, hosts operas, ballets and symphonic concerts, and has seen the greatest artists of the world perform. The theatre is the beating heart of the cultural life of Rio for more than a century, and faces the Cinelândia square. An architectural jewel and a temple of the arts, the Municipal Theatre is a must-see stop of the discovery of Rio de Janeiro.

What to see

You admire the sumptuous theatre built at the beginning of the twentieth century on the model of the Opéra Garnier of Paris, one of the most beautiful cultural buildings of Brazil, with a façade adorned with sculptures, columns and domes and an interior adorned with marbles, stained-glass windows, frescoes and gildings, whose great Italian-style hall hosts operas, ballets and concerts, facing the Cinelândia square. The Municipal Theatre is a temple of the arts of Rio. It is a must-see stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Municipal Theatre lies facing the Cinelândia square, in the centre of Rio de Janeiro, reachable on foot and by metro. You admire its façade from the square; the performances and the guided tours follow their own programme and hours, which vary. It is best to check the agenda before coming.

Why does the Municipal Theatre of Rio resemble the Opera of Paris?

Because it was built at the beginning of the twentieth century on the model of the Opéra Garnier of Paris, at the time when Rio, then capital of Brazil, was modernising on the model of the European capitals; with a façade adorned with sculptures and an interior adorned with marbles and gildings, it is one of the most beautiful cultural buildings of the country.

Where is the Municipal Theatre in Rio de Janeiro?

Facing the Cinelândia square, in the centre of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil.