In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Standing places cost €13 (Balcony), €15 (Gallery) or €18 (Parterre), with 435 places sold only on the day, online from 10:00 or at the standing-room box office from 80 minutes before the performance. Seats start at €15 and are sold for the current month and the next two. The tour is €18 and lasts about 40 minutes. There is no dress code, but flip-flops, undershirts and very short shorts may be refused. Every seat and standing place has a subtitle screen with English. Buy from the Opera’s own shop at tickets.wiener-staatsoper.at.
The tickets, compared
Prices are from the Opera’s ticket information and first-time visitor page. The house is at Opernring 2.
| Ticket | Price | When it goes on sale | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seats | From €15 | The current month and the next two | 1,700 seats, each with a subtitle screen. Pre-orders are possible for later dates |
| Standing, Parterre | €18 | The day of the performance | Below the centre box, behind the stalls |
| Standing, Gallery | €15 | The day of the performance | At the top of the house |
| Standing, Balcony | €13 | The day of the performance | Above the boxes |
| Under-27 ticket | €25 | With the seats | Selected performances, seat areas 2 to 9 |
| Children’s ticket | €20 | With the seats | Under 16, minimum age 5, two per purchase. Not for premieres or productions for 16 and over |
| Last-minute ticket | €55 | The day before, at the box office | Mostly seat categories 2 and 3, two per person |
- Standing places: online from 10:00 on the day, or at the standing-room box office from 80 minutes before the performance. The minimum age is 5.
- Standing RoomPLUS at €4 to €7 needs the free Bundestheater card and a one-time €28 fee, so it is not a visitor price.
- Box office at the corner of Herbert-von-Karajan-Platz and Opernring: Monday to Friday 10:00 to 17:00, Saturday, Sunday and holidays 10:00 to 13:00. The evening box office opens one hour before and sells that day’s performance only. Doors open one hour before the performance.
- Returns: online and phone purchases can go on the Opera’s commission exchange for 10 per cent, minimum €3. Otherwise there are no refunds.
The tour
The standard tour costs €18 (€14 for under-27s, seniors and children aged 6 and over, free for under 6) and takes about 40 minutes. It runs in German, English, French, Spanish, Italian and Japanese, for up to 30 people, and it is not suitable for people with limited mobility.
- Booking: online, or on site from 30 minutes before the tour. The tour dates for a month appear around the middle of the month before.
- The backstage tour is €48 (€36 for ages 6 to 26), lasts 90 minutes and runs on selected Sundays.
- The children’s tour is €14, in German, for ages 6 to 10.
- A private tour is €480 for up to 20 people.
If the Opera is sold out
Standing places go on sale at 10:00 on the day, so a sold-out evening is not final. The alternatives are the halls and concerts compared in Vienna classical concerts. The Musikverein and the Konzerthaus sell their own programmes, and the Konzerthaus has remaining tickets for under-30s at €20 from 30 minutes before most events.
What to see
The house seats 1,700 and has room for 435 standing places.
The Vienna State Opera from the Ring. Photo: Radler59, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- A performance, from a standing place. Every standing place has a subtitle screen with English. The Parterre is below the centre box behind the stalls, the Balcony above the boxes and the Gallery at the top.
- The tour (about 40 minutes). It shows the house without a performance, in a group of up to 30.
- The backstage tour (90 minutes). It runs on selected Sundays, at €48.
- The programme booklet. €7.50 in print, paid in cash at the Audience Service, or under €3 as a digital edition.
What to skip: the backstage tour, unless you want it. It costs €48 and runs on selected Sundays only.
An arcaded hall inside the State Opera. Photo: Joseolgon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Rules, hours and getting there
- Dress: no dress code. Flip-flops, an undershirt or very short shorts may be refused.
- Cloakroom: coats, jackets, bags and rucksacks go in the free cloakrooms.
- Where: Opernring 2, on the Ring.
The Opera is a short walk from the Hofburg. What to book before you go to Vienna lists the Opera beside the other bookings with a rolling sale window, and Vienna classical concerts compares the real halls with the tourist concerts. The Vienna Boys’ Choir sings at the Sunday Mass on some Sundays. Vienna New Year’s Eve covers the end of December, and the Vienna ball season covers the Opera Ball. 3 days in Vienna puts standing places on the evening of its first day. To stay near the house, see where to stay in Vienna and hotels near St Stephen’s Cathedral, and Vienna public transport has the fares.
Common questions
How much are standing places at the Vienna State Opera?
€18 for the Parterre, €15 for the Gallery and €13 for the Balcony. There are 435 standing places, sold only on the day: online from 10:00, or at the standing-room box office from 80 minutes before the performance. Every standing place has a subtitle screen with English.
How far ahead can I buy State Opera seats?
Seats are on sale for the current month and the next two, so March performances go on sale on 1 January. Pre-orders are possible for later dates. Seats start at €15.
Is there a dress code at the Vienna State Opera?
No. The Opera says everything is allowed, but flip-flops, an undershirt or very short shorts may be refused. Coats, jackets, bags and rucksacks go in the free cloakrooms.
How much is a State Opera tour?
€18 for an adult and €14 for under-27s, seniors and children aged 6 and over. The standard tour lasts about 40 minutes, in German, English, French, Spanish, Italian and Japanese, with up to 30 people. New dates appear around the middle of the month before.
Are there cheap tickets for under-27s?
Yes. Tickets for people under 27 are €25 for selected performances in the seat areas 2 to 9, and children under 16 pay €20 (minimum age 5, two per purchase, not for premieres or productions rated 16 and over).
Can I return or exchange State Opera tickets?
Online and phone purchases can be listed on the Opera's commission exchange for a 10 per cent fee with a minimum of €3. Otherwise there are no refunds.
