Bonn Opera, Bonn

The Bonn Opera serves as the city’s central stage for music theatre, offering a wide-ranging program that includes opera, operetta, musicals, ballet, and orchestral concerts. Opened in 1965, the venue was constructed to replace performance spaces lost during World War II and was designed to reflect Bonn’s post-war identity as the provisional capital of West Germany.

Designed by architects Klaus Gessler and Wilfried Beck-Erlang, the building showcases clean lines, glass façades, and a steel-reinforced concrete frame stretching along the river. Inside, the theater seats over 1,000 guests following a major renovation in 1992–93. Highlights include a second balcony, interior lighting features such as a lowered "milky way" ceiling and whimsical chandeliers designed by ZERO artist Otto Piene.

Bonn Opera is part of the broader Theater Bonn ensemble-alongside the Chamber Theatre Bad Godesberg and Beuel Hall stages-delivering diverse programming from classical operas and modern works to musicals and dance. It also hosts international touring companies and community events like comedy nights under the banner “Don’t Talk Nonsense About Opera!”.