The sumptuous and prestigious Opéra Garnier was inaugurated in 1875, 15 years after the 35-year-old Charles Garnier‘s riotous design had been officially accepted. A fittingly lavish epitaph to the manic architectural activities of the Second Empire, it was once the largest theater in the world.
Since the opening of the Opéra Bastille, the Opéra Garnier has become exclusively devoted to ballet.
Although the quality of the Ballet de l’Opéra de Paris is internationally renowned, its repertoire tends to remain on the traditional side of contemporary dance.
