Rome Opera House Tickets and Tours

The vibrant red velvet, the famous golden dome adorned with frescoes by Annibale Brugnoli, and a majestic Murano chandelier featuring 27,000 crystal drops are the essential elements for an opera evening brimming with passion and emotion. Don’t be fooled by its understated façade—the Opera House is a dreamlike setting where you can enjoy the world’s finest operas in style.

Keep reading this article to find out how to buy your tickets, how to get to the theater, what to see in the surrounding area… I’ll tell you all the details so you can enjoy this must-do experience that stands out among all the things to see and do in Rome

Forget about having to save up for a whole year to enjoy the best opera performances. The Opera House offers affordable tickets for every budget, with seats ranging from €22 to €160.

The price difference between tickets is due to the seat you choose (the back rows of the gallery are the cheapest, and the front rows of the stalls are the most expensive) and the number of performances of the show.

The same opera on opening night can cost between €4 and €35 more than in subsequent performances. But don’t worry about the sound, as the theater is built in a horseshoe shape to act as a resonance chamber, so whichever seat you choose, you’ll be able to hear the opera in all its splendor.

Ballet ticket prices vary in the same way as opera performances, but they are slightly more affordable, ranging from €20 to €100 for the best seats on opening night.

Enjoy a 25% discount:

To make opera and ballet accessible to everyone, the theater offers a 25% discount on tickets for young people under 25, students under 30, and seniors over 65.

Don’t forget to bring a valid ID to take advantage of this discount. This discount does not apply to premieres or seats in the balconies or gallery.

Take advantage of the Opera Card:

If you’re an opera lover and plan to attend regularly, the Opera Card can be your best friend.

Priced at €10 for adults and €5 for young people under 25, you can enjoy 10% discounts on tickets to the Opera House and the Baths of Caracalla (excluding premieres and seats in the balconies and gallery), 30% discounts on tickets to the Roman Philharmonic Academy, and more.

Check the Rome Opera website for the rest of the Opera Card benefits. You can purchase your card at the theater box office.

Subscribe to the Rome Opera House:

Have you fallen in love with opera, ballet, and all their performances? Don’t worry, because the Rome Opera House offers various subscription options so you don’t miss any of its productions.

Choose the option that best suits your preferences: the full opera package, weekend packages, or, if you prefer, ballet performances.

If opera is on your itinerary during your visit to Rome, don’t wait until the last minute to buy tickets, as they tend to sell out quickly even though you can purchase them at the box office.

Below are the different options for purchasing your tickets hassle-free online, at the theater box office, or by reserving them remotely.

Buy your tickets at the box office

If you’re in Rome and prefer to have your tickets in hand, head to Piazza Beniamino Gigli, 1, to buy them. The box office is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Remember that the box office is closed on public holidays.

You can pay for your tickets:

• In cash.
• By non-transferable bank draft payable to the Fondazione Teatro dell’Opera di Roma.
• By check payable to the Fondazione Teatro dell’Opera di Roma (you must have your ID with you at all times).
• By credit and debit card: American Express, Visa, Maestro, Mastercard, BankAmericard, CartaSi, Diners.

If the tickets are for same-day performances, please arrive at the Opera House one hour before or up to 15 minutes after the start of the performance.

Buy your tickets online

If you prefer to buy tickets in advance online to avoid lines or surprises, you can visit their website to view all available performances, seats, dates, etc.

Buy or reserve your tickets by phone:

You can also purchase your tickets by phone at: 06 48160255. Please note that this is an Italian-language line and international calling charges may apply; you will also need to dial the country code.

Tickets purchased by phone must be picked up at the box office within 48 hours prior to the performance.

Located at Piazza Beniamino Gigli 7, in the historic Esquilino neighborhood, the Opera House is easily accessible via public transportation.

If you have a Roma Pass, you’ll have free access to all public transportation (subways and buses) in Rome while your card is active.

Please note that transfers to airports or regional trains are not included. You can also purchase the Omnia Card to enjoy free public transportation.

To the Opera House by Metro

One of the fastest ways to get around Rome is by metro. To reach the Rome Opera House, I recommend taking Line A to the Repubblica Teatro Dell’Opera stop, which is right next to the theater.

You can buy tickets at metro stations and also at tobacco shops and kiosks marked with a blue sign featuring a T. If you’d like more information, feel free to check out this guide on how to use the metro in Rome.

All options for getting there by bus

Depending on where you are in the city, you can take different bus lines; here are all the available routes.

That said, if you plan to take the bus to the theater, I recommend leaving plenty of time, as the wait between buses can be up to 20 minutes or more.

• From Via Nazionale: H, 40, 60, 64, 70, 71, 170, 116T
• From Via Depretis: 70, 71
• From Via Cavour: 16, 75, 84, 150 (holidays), 360, 590, 649, 714
• From the Train Station (Stazione Termini): 16, 38, 75, 86, 90, 217, 310, 360, 649, 714

Take a taxi from anywhere in the city

The closest taxi stand to the Rome Opera House is 6645, undoubtedly the most convenient option for getting there.

The perfect parking spot if you’re coming by car

If you prefer to drive your own vehicle, don’t worry about parking, as the theater offers a 50% discount at the Garage Mediterraneo parking lot. Head to 12 Massimo D’Azeglio Street and leave your car in a fully secure and monitored facility.

More than 11,000 set design sketches, photographs of the performances, 84,000 costume pieces, audio recordings, videos, and much more await you in this magnificent collection that brings together all the historical documentation of the Rome Opera House.
If you’re an opera lover, you can’t miss this encyclopedic collection—over 100 years of artistic history in an archive open to the public, allowing you to enjoy the events that took place since the theater’s opening day in 1880.

To enjoy a night of opera in style, here are all the recommendations and information you need so nothing catches you off guard:

• Remember that recording or photographing the performances is prohibited, so all photography and video equipment must be stored in the theater’s coat check. The use of cell phones in the auditorium is also prohibited. Focus on enjoying this unique experience and immerse yourself in the performance with all five senses—it’s sure to be an evening you’ll never forget.
• For most performances, casual attire is acceptable, but for opening nights or premieres, dress in your finest because it will be a star-studded event.
• Be mindful of the time and don’t be late, as entry to the stalls and numbered seats in the gallery or balconies is prohibited once the performance has begun.
• The Rome Opera House features a magnificent café with a detailed menu by Alba Esteve Ruiz, known as Rome’s Marzipan Chef. At this restaurant, you can enjoy an exquisite dinner or snack with hot and cold dishes to pick up during the intermission or before the event. Just remember that all food and drinks must remain in the designated areas and cannot be taken into the performance. If you prefer to have lunch or dinner outside the theater, I recommend checking out this list of restaurants so you can choose from a wide variety of delicious dishes.

Opera never sleeps in the Eternal City. The Rome Opera House’s performance schedule runs year-round, but to enhance the experience and immerse yourself even further in Roman life, if you visit Rome during the summer months, you’ll find that performances are held at the Baths of Caracalla.

Visiting the Baths of Caracalla, one of the most majestic ancient bath complexes, is almost a must if you’re traveling to Rome.

Although built between 212 and 216, we can still enjoy its massive brick walls and enormous vaults today, making the setting an idyllic place to enjoy opera on summer nights.

The Baths of Caracalla have been the setting for major operas since 1930, and today they also host various festivals and dance and music performances. Tickets can be purchased on the Rome Opera House website:

Opera and ballet schedules depend on the specific performances available.

During your visit to the Opera House, be sure to explore the Esquilino neighborhood to make the most of your day in Rome.

This district was home to figures such as Cicero, Horace, and Maecenas, and although it is not one of Rome’s most popular areas, it houses precious relics such as the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa and the Cornaro Chapel in the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria, or the finger of Saint Thomas in the Church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme.

One of the main attractions in this part of the city is the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, one of Rome’s seven major basilicas. Santa Maria Maggiore is one of Rome’s four Major Basilicas and the only one to retain its early Christian layout and original 5th-century mosaics.

You can also stroll through Piazza della Repubblica and see the Naiads Fountain and the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri.

Right in the heart of Esquilino lies Piazza Vittorio Emanuele. It was built in 1870, and there you can stroll through the Nicola Calipari Gardens, see the remains of a 3rd-century AD Roman fountain, and view the Porta Magica built by Massimiliano Palombara (the only gate still standing of the five that were built at Villa Palombara).

Rome is full of majestic monuments and buildings. Visiting the city’s best squares is something you shouldn’t forget to include in your itinerary.

Rome is home to one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the Colosseum, making it a top destination for any traveler wishing to immerse themselves in Italy’s rich cultural life; as a result, finding the perfect time in terms of capacity can be a bit tricky.

As a personal recommendation, try to book your opera tickets as far in advance as possible. Although you can buy tickets for same-day performances at the theater box office, it’s a bit of a gamble.

Similarly, if you prefer to wait until the summer months and visit the opera at the Baths of Caracalla, it’s best to book in advance, since despite the high temperatures, many tourists flock there to enjoy the summer dance, music, and opera festivals.

Remember that with the Roma Pass or Omnia Card, you can explore the city with free admission or significant discounts. Check out the different options to see which one best suits your needs.

If you’ve run out of tickets to visit the Rome Opera House, don’t worry—the Italian capital brings opera to every corner of the city.

The Palazzo Santa Chiara or the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls are other places where you can go to enjoy music in all its splendor. If you prefer an outdoor concert, head to Rome’s Terrazza Borromini, near Piazza Navona, to enjoy Puccini, Rossini, and Verdi while sipping an aperitif.

You also have the opportunity to book tickets for an opera concert at the Waldensian Church, located right in the heart of Rome—an idyllic spot to enjoy a recital by the finest tenors and sopranos of the Opera de Camera.