Opera

The Opera of Lyon

The Lyon audio-guided tour presents you with the National Opera of Lyon, on the Place de la Comédie, facing the Town Hall, a striking marriage of neoclassical and modern architecture.

From the Grand Théâtre to the opera of Jean Nouvel

The first Grand Théâtre of Lyon, designed in 1756 by the architect Jacques-Germain Soufflot, author of the dome of the Grand Hôtel-Dieu, was destroyed by a fire less than a century later. An opera replaced it in 1831. At the end of the twentieth century, in 1993, the architect Jean Nouvel restructured the building to adapt it to more ambitious performances: he kept the neoclassical façades while topping them with a modern and astonishing half-cylinder of glass. The National Opera of Lyon, which can accommodate up to one thousand one hundred spectators, offers concerts, operas and ballets, in a building that combines historic past and modernity.

What there is to see

The Opera of Lyon impresses with the contrast of its neoclassical façades and its contemporary glass roof signed by Jean Nouvel. A major stage of the city, it hosts operas, ballets and concerts in a unique setting. It is a symbol of Lyon's ability to combine historic heritage and modern creation, facing the Town Hall.

Practical information

The Opera of Lyon is on the Place de la Comédie, facing the Town Hall. Its façade can be contemplated freely from the square; the hall opens during performances, whose programme is to be consulted on site.

Who restructured the Opera of Lyon?

The architect Jean Nouvel, in 1993, who kept the neoclassical façades by topping them with a modern glass roof.

What can one see at the Opera of Lyon?

Operas, ballets and concerts, in a hall that can accommodate up to one thousand one hundred spectators.