Opened - 1898
Capacity - 1261 seated, 71 standing
At the heart of Vienna’s appeal for tourists lies its rich musical heritage and the excellence of its musical offerings today. Tourists seeking the ultimate musical and theatrical experience can find it at the Volksoper, a Viennese opera house with old world charm.
The Volksoper Wien, located just a ten minute taxi ride outside the city centre, stages 18th, 19th and 20th century operas as well as operettas, classical musicals, contemporary dance and concerts. The season, which runs from September to July, consists of some 300 performances divided among some 35 different productions and revivals from previous years.
Vienna and operetta – people from far and near will join the two whenever one comes up. Intriguing melodies, swirling dancers, the joy of life – all come together in the classical Viennese Operetta. The Volksoper is the world’s leading operetta specialist. No where will you find more polished and authentic performances of this peculiarly Viennese form of musical entertainment. An evening of operetta is an essential experience for anyone who wants to get a real flavour of the Viennese character. Here at the birthplace of most operettas, dreams come true when melodies known by heart all over the world are performed to the joy of the audiences.
One of the best times to visit the Volksoper is during the Volksoper’s ‘operetta wochen’ (operetta weeks) in the last two weeks of June and the first two weeks of September. Much of the music known and loved the world over from composers such as Johann Strauß, Franz Lehár, Emmerich Kálmán… come from operettas such as Die Fledermaus, The Merry Widow, Wiener Blut. With over 100 operetta performances per year the Volksoper offers a nostalgic look into Austria’s elegant imperial past.