Tosca

Tosca at Opéra Bastille - Ⓒ Opéra National de Paris
Opéra Bastille

From 23/11 to 18/04/2026

Other languages with surtitles
Tosca at Opéra Bastille - Ⓒ Opéra National de Paris
Tosca

Choose your date From €223 / person

Location

Opéra Bastille
Place de la Bastille, 75012 Paris
Capacity 2700 seats

Duration

2 h 50 min

With intermission


Details

Opera

For all audiences

In Italian with French and English surtitles


Highlights: Tosca

An avalanche of opera stars will take on the three major roles in Giacomo Puccini’s magnificent and heartrending three-act melodrama, Tosca... Taking turns on stage in the role of Floria Tosca will be Saioa Hernández, Elena Stikhina, Angel Blue, and Sondra Radvanovsky; portraying Mario Cavaradossi will be Roberto Alagna, Jonas Kaufmann, Adam Smith, Freddie De Tommaso, and Yusif Eyvazov. Finally, in the role of Baron Scarpia, Alexey Markov, Ludovic Tézier, and Gevorg Hakobyan.

 

This is the masterful revival of Puccini’s Tosca on the stage of the Opéra Bastille, in the striking production directed by Pierre Audi. This lyrical drama, where passionate love clashes with the brutality of power, is driven by music of overwhelming intensity.

 

Director Pierre Audi brings to this production a pared-back and symbolic aesthetic. A vast concrete cross, omnipresent on stage, dominates all three acts, embodying the oppressive weight of religion and authority on human fate. This scenic choice, though imposing, never stifles the action, but rather heightens the dramatic tension.

 

The set design, inspired by ancient theatre, creates a powerful visual world, where every element serves the storytelling. Minimalist sets, dramatic lighting, and understated costumes all enhance the tragic atmosphere of the piece. The staging highlights the duality between faith and desire, embodied in the characters of Tosca, a fervent believer, and Scarpia, an impious manipulator.

 

Musically, the Orchestra of the Paris National Opera, under the baton of Oksana Lyniv or Jader Bignamini, delivers an interpretation of great refinement.

 

Tosca is a powerful lyrical experience, where the beauty of the music merges with the violence of the drama, in a production of rare elegance.

 

A performance that deeply moves and remains etched in the memory.

 

 

See details for our premium option below!

Story: Tosca

Tosca, an opera by Giacomo Puccini, is set in Rome during a time of intense political repression. The painter Mario Cavaradossi helps a political prisoner, Angelotti, escape from the police. But the sinister Baron Scarpia, the chief of police, is in pursuit. He manipulates the famous singer Floria Tosca, Cavaradossi’s lover, driving her into jealousy and despair.

 

Scarpia has Cavaradossi arrested and tortured before Tosca’s very eyes, hoping to extract a confession. In exchange for her lover’s life, he demands that she surrender herself to him. Shattered but resolute, Tosca agrees… then violently stabs him, in a gripping scene of revenge, underscored by music of shattering dramatic intensity and timed to Tosca’s chilling cry: “Muori! Muori!” (“Die! Die!”).

 

She rushes to Cavaradossi, believing she has saved him, but the promise of a staged execution was a cruel lie—he is shot for real. When Tosca realises the betrayal, she escapes arrest by leaping from a window of the castle.

 

Puccini’s music heightens the violence and tension: passion, torture, betrayal, and death unfold in a tragedy where love cannot survive corrupted power.

 

An opera of breathtaking intensity!

Premium Option and Experience

Looking for more than a standard ticket to the show? To make your experience an unforgettable one, choose the following offer at the time of booking:
 

  • Champagne + Programme + Exclusive Access to Salon Berlioz + Show
  • Indulge in the premium opera experience! Elevate your evening with our exclusive package, available even after standard ticket sales have closed. With this premium option, relish a glass of champagne, receive a show programme, and enjoy privileged access to the Opéra Bastille's Salon Berlioz — an intimate space reserved for our premium guests.
  • Please note, this special package is exclusively offered through the Theatre in Paris box office, thanks to our official partnership with the Friends of Paris Opera Association. Don't miss the chance to make your opera night truly exceptional.

Reviews

Energy and colour
"The Paris Opera Orchestra sets the tone with energy and colour, dark and radiant." (Translated from French)
Lara Othman, Olyrix
A skilful direction
"The director's direction is rather skilful but fairly conventional, the main innovation being to take away the heroine's spectacular final leap." (Translated from French)
Clément Taillia, Forum Opera
Pure emotion
"Tosca at the Opéra Bastille: a time of pure emotion." (Translated from French)
Toute la Culture

Opéra Bastille

Place de la Bastille, 75012 Paris

History and Fun Facts about the Opéra Bastille

 

Designed by Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott, the building was commissioned by French President François Mitterrand and inaugurated in 1989. For years, many had lamented the lack of a modern venue in Paris capable of welcoming modern concerts and performances with different acoustic approaches, and the flexibility that a modulable venue lends. A movement started in the 1960s called for a larger new venue in Paris that would appeal to the masses, a modern compliment to the elaborate Palais Garnier. Just over 100 years after the inauguration of the Palais Garnier, the demands finally won over the newly-elected President Mitterrand, who supported the project as the headliner among many modern works launched during his term. Selecting the popular Bastille neighbourhood for its ease of accessibility from Paris and the surrounding areas, the old Bastille Train Station was destroyed to make way for the construction of the new venue. The building was completed just in time for the bicentenary of the French Revolution.  

 

The venue has undergone many changes in direction resulting from varying political affiliations, and has undergone major renovations since its construction to repair and to soundproof the entire structure. Unlike other auditorium designs, each and every seat at the Opéra Bastille guarantees an unrestricted view of the stage. With its white glass ceiling, crisp gray compliments, and black seating adorned with rich oak, the venue is an ode to modernity and simplistic design. From the exterior, made of blue granite from Brittany and blocks of glass, light is reflected from every corner of this angular venue.

 

Fast facts
Capacity: 2,745
Handicap Accessible: Yes – in order to guarantee access to specific locations, we ask that you make your reservation at least 15 days before the performance.
Air conditioning: Yes
Heating: Yes
Coat Check: Yes (free service)

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FAQ

How do I get to Opéra Bastille in the 12th arrondissement of Paris?

The Opéra Bastille is accessible by:
Metro: Line 1 (station Bastille), line 5 (station Bastille), line 8 (station Bastille)
RER: Line A (station Gare de Lyon)
Address: 120 rue de Lyon, 75012 Paris
In case of difficulty, our hotline can be reached during our business hours. Please see the footer of this page for our contact details.

What do I do when I get to Opéra Bastille?

We invite you to arrive 45 minutes before the beginning of Tosca, and present your voucher at the front desk. Opéra Bastille’s English-speaking staff members will guide you to your seats.
The concert hall’s doors close 15 minutes after the start of the performance and reopen at intermission if the performance includes one.
If you arrive within 15 minutes after the start of the performance, you will not be allowed to enter the opera house and will be directed to an area with a television where you can watch the first part of the show. You will be able to return to your seats during the intermission if the performance includes one.

How long does the opera, Tosca, last?

The opera Tosca at Opéra Bastille lasts approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes, with intermission.

Is Tosca for an international audience or French speakers?

Both! The Opéra Bastille has been welcoming audiences from all over the world for many years. The opera, Tosca, is sung in its original Italian version. Surtitles are provided in both French and English so that international audiences can appreciate this opera in this incredible Parisian venue.

Where will I be seated, and will I see the surtitles* properly?

At Opéra Bastille, each category provides a comfortable view of the surtitles. The surtitles are projected above and on the sides of the stage. Our Premium tickets offer the best view of the stage and surtitles.
*Surtitles (also called supertitles) are the theatre equivalent of subtitles. That’s because in French “sur” means “above”.

Is there a dress code at Opéra Bastille?

There is no specific dress code at Opéra Bastille, but proper attire is appreciated. Feel free to dress to impress and reflect the fabulous contemporary architecture at Opéra Bastille!

Can I choose my seat when booking?

When purchasing tickets, choose your preferred category and you will be allocated the best available seats in that category! Our Premium tickets offer the best view of the stage and surtitles.
Please note that tickets of the same category that are booked during the same purchase session, in the same booking order on our website are always assigned side by side. To be sure of this, make sure all of your tickets are in the same category and are included in your shopping cart at the time of purchase.
If there are no available adjacent seating arrangements, our customer service team will contact you before the booking is confirmed.

 

At the Paris Opera, the seats are assigned in odd numbers or even numbers. Therefore, if your tickets are consecutive odd numbers or even numbers (For example: 1, 3, 5,...), they will be adjacent.

 

You can find the seating plan in the theatre’s "photo" section on this page.

What is included with my premium ticket at Opéra Bastille?

The Premium tickets are our most exclusive package and include seating in category Optima, the best category in the house, a programme of the show, a glass of champagne, and exclusive access to the magnificent Salon Berlioz.

 

Your programme: At the Opéra Bastille, you may pick your programme in the main shop as well as at the programme stands located at the main entrance, on the 2nd and 4th floors.
Your glass of champagne: You can choose to enjoy your glass of champagne before the performance or during intermission. Champagne will be available at public bars or in the exclusive Salon Berlioz. The Salon is located on the 1st floor, at the right of the entrance to the Opéra Bastille. It is accessible by elevator or by stairs.

I bought premium tickets for Tosca and I haven’t received them yet. Is this normal?

Yes, it’s completely normal! As the premium tickets for Tosca include exclusive add-ons, your order will first be created as a pre-booking so the Paris Opera can assign your seats and prepare your exclusive package.
You may see a pre-charge on your card but you can rest assured that we will not charge your card until the booking is validated by the Paris Opera. After the tickets are confirmed, you will receive your tickets by email.
Given the large number of requests the Paris Opera has to manage, this process usually takes two business days but can take up to six days maximum. After six days if your order has not been validated, it will be cancelled, the pre-charge will disappear, and you will not be charged.