Solis Theatre

The Solís theatre, in Montevideo

The Teatro Solís is the main opera of Uruguay and the oldest theatre of South America, inaugurated in 1856 in the old town of Montevideo. The Montevideo audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this major cultural monument, named in honour of the navigator Juan Díaz de Solís, first European to have reached the Rio de la Plata.

The oldest theatre of South America

Here you are now in front of the Teatro Solís, the main opera of the country and, beware, the oldest theatre of the South American continent. It was built in 1856, barely seventeen years after the independence of Uruguay, a sign of the cultural ambition of a young nation. At its inauguration, several names had been proposed: theatre of Peace, of the Sun, of May, of Artigas, of the Constitution, of Harmony. It is finally Solís that was chosen, in honour of the very first European having reached the Rio de la Plata, the navigator Juan Díaz de Solís, at the beginning of the sixteenth century. Built in an elegant neoclassical style, with its columned façade and its pediment, the theatre impresses by its nobility and its scale. Inside, its great horseshoe-shaped hall, richly decorated with gilding, red velvet and a painted ceiling, can host more than one thousand five hundred spectators and offers a remarkable acoustic. Over its history, the Solís has received the greatest names of the world stage, opera singers, dancers, musicians and actors, and remains today the high place of the cultural life of Montevideo, hosting operas, concerts, ballets and theatre plays. Carefully restored, it has recovered all its former brilliance. A historic opera and a cultural jewel, the Solís theatre is a fine stop of the discovery of Montevideo.

What to see

You admire the main opera of Uruguay and the oldest theatre of South America, built in 1856, seventeen years after independence, and named after the navigator Juan Díaz de Solís, first European to reach the Rio de la Plata; of neoclassical style with a columned façade, it shelters a great horseshoe-shaped hall of more than one thousand five hundred seats, richly decorated, with a remarkable acoustic. The Solís theatre is a cultural jewel of Montevideo. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Solís theatre lies in the old town of Montevideo, near the Independence Square, reachable on foot. You admire its façade from the street; for guided tours or shows, it is best to enquire in advance about the programme and the conditions of access, which vary. You discover it during a walk in the centre.

Why is the theatre of Montevideo called Solís?

In honour of Juan Díaz de Solís, the very first European to have reached the Rio de la Plata, at the beginning of the sixteenth century; built in 1856, it is the main opera of Uruguay and the oldest theatre of South America, of neoclassical style, whose great horseshoe-shaped hall of more than one thousand five hundred seats offers a remarkable acoustic.

Where is the Solís theatre in Montevideo?

In the old town of Montevideo, near the Independence Square, in Uruguay.