Given the current health situation and the entailing uncertainties and limitations in terms of holding rehearsals, welcoming the public and enabling artists to perform in satisfactory conditions at the start of the new season, the Paris Opera has taken the decision, approved by its Board of Directors, to launch advance renovation of certain parts of its stage equipment, starting in July 2020.
These operations were initially planned for the 2021 off-season, with a prolonged closure of the two theatres Garnier and Bastille. Bringing the work forward will provide broader programming possibilities as of mid-2021, a period when the environment will be more conducive to presenting performances and welcoming the public than in autumn 2020. The stages of the Paris Opera will therefore be out of commission, until the end of 2020 in the case of the Palais Garnier, and until mid-November 2020 as far as the Opéra Bastille is concerned.
At the Palais Garnier, the scheduled programme is cancelled until the end of December 2020. The Opéra Bastille will reopen its doors on 24 November 2020 with Giuseppe Verdi's "La Traviata" directed by Simon Stone, originally scheduled at the Palais Garnier. Calixto Bieito's production of Georges Bizet's "Carmen" and the ballet "La Bayadère" choreographed by Rudolf Nureyev will close the year 2020. As some performance dates may be modified or added, we invite you to consult our website in the coming days. In the near future the Opera will be announcing the alternative programmation proposed during this renovation period, in particular in the available areas of both theatres, including concerts and ballets presented in front of the iron curtain at the Palais Garnier.
Discussions are also under way with the future general director on the possibility of reviving the project of Richard Wagner's Ring in future seasons. As of the beginning of 2021, the productions scheduled in both theatres will resume in accordance with the initially announced programme.
Visits to the Palais Garnier, activities at the Ballet School and the Academy as well as digital activities are not affected by this decision. Spectators will be informed in June of the practical details regarding reserving or exchanging seats, and, where applicable, refunds for productions scheduled in the autumn.