La Magie Opéra, in virtual reality: we tested the immersive VR experience at the Palais Garnier

Would you like to experienceopera in virtual reality? This summer, the Palais Garnier celebrates its 150th anniversary with La Magie Opéra, an immersive experience that will redefine the way you experience opera. From May 7 to August 31, 2025, forget the seats and the applause - this time, you're at the heart of the action! Step into the set!

Immersed in the magical world of theOpera, you follow Céleste, a young singer who guides you on a sensory and dreamlike adventure through the Palais Garnier. Thanks to virtual reality, you'll explore the building's most emblematic locations, while witnessing some of the repertory's most legendary scenes. La Magie Opéra, a BackLight production in co-production with Opéra national de Paris and VIVE Arts, offers a multi-user, geolocated and totally immersive experience.

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On the program? Immortal arias: Song to the Moon from Rusalka (Renée Fleming), the Vissi d'arte from Tosca (Martina Serafin) and the legendary Habanera from Carmen (Elīna Garanča), which come to life around you, in spectacular settings. If you thought opera was an art form stuck in the past, think again. In just 25 minutes, the imagination takes over!

Our review of La Magie Opéra :

With La Magie Opéra, you don't just visit the Palais Garnier - you walk through it, headphones on, in full operatic immersion. Here, opera isn't just something to look at, it's something to experience from the inside.

Head for the Bibliothèque-musée de l'Opéra, Amphithéâtre entrance (Baignoires-Orchestre), on the first entresol, well guarded by two majestic statues, at the far left. Twelve participants per session, no more, for a 25-minute experience (from age 12). We strongly advise you toarrive at least 15 minutes early - the experience won't wait for you. Don't worry, you'll be able to see other people's avatars in space, so there's no risk of a pile-up (phew!). You're then fitted with an adjustable, glasses-friendly VR headset, and off you go for an immediate change of scenery!

Once you've chosen your avatar, the young virtual singer Céleste welcomes you to this parallel opera. She leads you through a succession of dreamlike settings, populated by lyrical voices inspired by the greatest operas. A poetic universe as you meander along, following signs hidden in enchanted bushes or winding corridors. We follow the rhythm in single file, as if in a collective dream.

Each painting is a marvel. You glide from one world to another, your senses alert. Some sequences are guaranteed to make you dizzy, others a little claustrophobic, but never so much that you lose interest. On the contrary, the further you go, the more you want to explore, interact and stay. Until the last act... and its final salvation. But shh, we don't spoil.

Even if the experience is fun solo, it must be even more so with family or friends. Each in his own avatar, all together in the same virtual universe. Emotions guaranteed!

Visually? It's really neat and aesthetically pleasing. It's like a new-generation SIMS game.

And, as an added bonus, your ticket includes an all-inclusive, unaccompanied tour of the Palais Garnier. It's up to you whether you prefer to explore the gilding before or after your digital journey.
La Magie Opéra is certainly the most elegantly stagedVR experience in Paris today.

So, are you ready to experience opera 2.0? Visit the Bibliothèque-musée de l'Opéra to discover La Magie Opéra, opera as you've never seen it before!

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please mention it in the comments.