The Nationaltheater opens one hour before the performance begins. To ensure you get the most out of your visit, please allow plenty of time beforehand for the coat check and restroom breaks.  Performances begin on time. Out of consideration for the artists and other audience members, latecomers will not be admitted. If you arrive late, you may watch a live broadcast of the performance in the Cappriccio Hall until intermission. After intermission, you may enter the auditorium as usual.

Our guests are permitted to take photos for personal use with a cell phone or a small digital camera in the front building (for example, in the entrance area, the Ionische Säle , or the Königsaal). In the auditorium, photography and audio recording during the performance are not permitted for copyright reasons and will result in legal action. Applause is an integral part of the performance. For this reason, it is also not permitted to make photo or audio recordings during the performance for copyright reasons, as the artists involved may assert their rights against you. Backstage areas such as the stage, costume, and makeup rooms are also protected by ancillary copyright.

With our applause, we give all the performers their well-deserved reward for their performance. It costs you nothing, so please feel free to be generous with your applause if you enjoyed the show.

No opera visit without an evening gown or a tie? Nonsense. We want you to feel comfortable. For many visitors, that means dressing up for this special evening. But there’s no official dress code: we welcome unique outfits just as much as jeans and cozy jumpsuits.

Our Käfer Theatergastronomie is pleased to welcome you starting one hour before the performance and during intermissions. The LUDWIG ZWEI restaurant is located on the ground floor of the building and offers both hot meals and a bar. Right on the orchestra floor, the RHEINGOLD bar-bistro invites you to enjoy drinks and appetizers. Additional bars can be found on the first and third tiers. The Nationaltheater floor plan will help you find your way around. 

Order and pay for your meal conveniently from home. This way, you’ll save yourself unnecessary waiting time on the day of the performance and can fully enjoy your evening of culture and cuisine.
>>> Reservations and Advance Orders 

You can find the current menu and more information here

Bags, suitcases, and backpacks larger than A4 size, as well as bulky items, are not permitted in the auditorium. Please check these items at the coat check before the performance begins.

The box office is generally open until ten minutes after the performance begins. After that, any unclaimed tickets can be picked up at the usher desk. Late admission is only permitted during any intermissions.

Lost and found items are held at the Bavarian State Opera’s property management office. Click here for the contact form. 

You can find all information regarding ticket sales here. 

Due to its historical design as a court theater, the auditorium of the Nationaltheater is horseshoe-shaped. Consequently, the view from the side tiers is limited by the architecture. The different price categories are determined by the quality and line of sight of the seats. The price category selected therefore also reflects the view from that particular seat.

In addition, the view of the action on stage during performances can also be affected by the set design and the performers’ movement area, especially in ballet performances. Depending on where the performers are located on stage, the view may be obstructed. For example, if the dancing takes place on the far left of the stage, the view from the seats on the far left of the auditorium is poorer. The same applies when singers are positioned at the back of the stage, which restricts the view, particularly from the side seats and the upper tiers. However, this varies from production to production.

Our box office staff and visitor services team will be happy to assist you both in writing and by phone, so you can purchase the seats that are right for you.

You can also view our seating charts here.

Bayerische Staatsoper Box Office
[email protected]
+49 89 21 85 19 20
Hours: Mon–Sat, 10:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.

Visitor Services
[email protected]
+49 89 21 85 10 25
Hours: Mon–Fri, 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.

We provide surtitles in German and English. Due to the architectural design of the Nationaltheater, the surtitles are unfortunately not visible from all seats. Here you will find a detailed list of the seats from which you may not be able to see the surtitles at all, or only partially, depending on the height of the balcony: 

Balcony (right):
Row 3 – Seats 60–70 
Balcony (left):
Row 3 – Seats 59–69 
Gallery (right): Row 2 – Seats 58–64 1.
Left tier: Row 2 – Seats 57–63 
Right tier: Standing room 2–28, 60–86 
Left tier: Standing room 1–27, 59–85 
Gallery: Seats for listeners and musicians

In these seats, German surtitles are displayed only on separate monitors:
Stalls, right side: Row 12 – Seats 446–450
Stalls, right side: Row 13 – Seats 492–500
Stalls, right side: Row 14 – Seats 540–544
Stalls, right side: Row 15 – Seats 586–590
Stalls, right side: Row 16 – Seats 630–634
Stalls, right side: Row 17 – Seats 672–678
Stalls, right side: Row 18 – Seats 714–720
Stalls, right side: Row 19 – Seat 762
Stalls, right side: Row 20 – Seats 792–796
Stalls, right side: Row 21 – Seats 810–820
Stalls, right side: Row 22 – Seats 822–826
Stalls, left side: Row 12 – Seats 445–449
Stalls, left side: Row 13 – Seats 491–499
Stalls, left: Row 14 – Seats 541–543
Stalls, left: Row 15 – Seats 587–591
Stalls, left: Row 16 – Seats 629–633
Stalls, left: Row 17 – Seats 671–677
Stalls, left: Row 18 – Seats 715–721
Stalls, left: Row 19 – Seat 763
Stalls, left: Row 20 – Seats 791–795
Stalls, left: Row 21 – Seats 809–819
Stalls, left: Row 22 – Seats 821–827
Right balcony: Row 3 – Seats 52–58
Right balcony: Row 4 – Seats 20–50
Right balcony: Row 5 – Seats 2–16
Left balcony: Row 3 – Seats 51–57
Left balcony: Row 4 – Seats 21–51
Balcony left: Row 5 – Seats 1–5
First tier right: Row 3 – Seats 40–48
First tier right: Row 4 – Seats 2–16
First tier left: Row 3 – Seats 39–47
First tier left: Row 4 – Seats 1–15

You do not need to present a printed copy of your digital ticket (selected “TicketDirekt” delivery method) at the entrance. Simply showing your ticket on your phone is sufficient. Our staff at the entrance just need to be able to scan the QR code displayed on the ticket.

All regular tickets from the Bayerische Staatsoper that are printed with the MVV (Munich Transport and Tariff Association) logo and the note “Mit MVV” can be used for round-trip travel on all MVV transit services. They are valid on the day of the performance from 3:00 p.m. (or three hours before the performance begins) until 6:00 a.m. the following day. (The MVV cannot be used with monthly passes or tickets purchased with the Oper-Plus card.)
For Ticket Direkt cards, a photo ID matching the name on the ticket is required to use the MVV. If the ticket is transferred to another visitor, only its validity as a travel pass is forfeited; the performance can still be attended as usual.

Paid tickets generally cannot be refunded. However, if you are unable to attend, you can easily transfer your ticket through our ticket exchange. Other interested parties will be delighted!

In general, it is possible to transfer tickets. However, if a ticket is transferred to another visitor, its validity as a valid ticket can no longer be guaranteed, as the corresponding photo ID must be presented during an inspection.

If tickets are still available, you can also purchase them at the box office. The box office opens one hour before the performance begins.

With our ticket exchange, we offer a platform where you can resell or list tickets for performances at the Bayerische Staatsoper at their original price.

The Italian term “libretto” means “little book.” The libretto is simply the text of an opera.

An overture serves as an instrumental introduction to an opera, a play, or an oratorio. Much like a movie trailer, the overture introduces the main characters and plot lines, but does so purely through music. The overture is usually performed before the curtain rises.

Matinees take place in the morning or afternoon as standalone events and are an excellent way to prepare for the actual performance. Members of the production team provide insights into the creative process, the staging, and other behind-the-scenes details. This makes them the perfect opportunity to delve deeper into the subject matter.

In collaboration with the Institute for Theater Studies at LMU Munich, all performances dating back to the early 20th century are being digitally cataloged using the Bavarian State Opera’s cast lists. The new database will be made available to the public on the Bavarian State Opera’s website during the 2022–23 season. Initially, it will feature detailed season information on premieres and repertoire performances at the Bavarian State Opera since 1967 (the start of Günther Rennert’s tenure as artistic director). The archive will gradually be expanded to include earlier records.
Once this new platform is up and running, cast lists from past performances will also be available there. In the meantime, please feel free to write to us indicating which current cast lists you are interested in, and we will send them to you as PDF files. Simply write to [email protected].