Opera House

No trip to Avignon is complete without a visit to its Opera House. The city’s theater scene is legendary, especially during the Avignon Festival. It’d be a crime to miss it! This opera-theater, formerly the Municipal Theater, is bound to charm you with its Greco-Roman architecture. It was built in the 19th century, and hosted its first ever performance in 1825. A fire ravaged it two decades later, but it was completely rebuilt in a mere six months! Culture is no laughing matter here, that’s for sure! Upon entering the building, visitors are greeted by statues of Molière and Corneille, two of France’s best-known playwrights. As for performances, it stages dance, theater, opera and music, catering to all tastes and drawing in a big crowd! Needless to say, it’s one of the venues hosting the Avignon festival, in its stunning Italian auditorium. Believe it or not, this annual festival is the world’s premier event dedicated to theater and live performance! Founded in 1947, it’s France’s oldest and most famous festival, welcoming over 120,000 spectators to ticketed performances at over 30 venues across the city. The courtyard of the Papal Palace is the most iconic venue, no doubt. But Avignon’s got yet another trick up its sleeve: the Off Festival has been running alongside the main event since 1967, as an edgy counterpart offering a platform for independent companies. They take over 100 unique venues in and around the city, from theaters and restaurants to circus tents, garages, gardens, even schoolyards and apartments! It sells nearly 2 million tickets every year! So you see, this three-week festival draws a multitude of people to Avignon, staging a wide variety of cultural performances for everyone to enjoy!