The event "Tous à l'Opéra" returns this weekend with a fresh edition—the 19th. On this occasion, several prestigious Parisian and Île-de-France institutions will open their doors for free on Friday, May 8, Saturday, May 9, and Sunday, May 10, 2026. A perfect moment to soak up the grandeur and beauty of these exceptional cultural venues. Discover the program that awaits you!
Craving a tour of the capital’s opera riches? Good news: the Tous à l'Opéra program is back this spring in France for a new and 19th edition not to be missed on Friday, May 8; Saturday, May 9; and Sunday, May 10, 2026.
For this new edition, themed around "Youth," the Tous à l’Opéra initiative once again aims to pull back the curtain on the inner workings of some of France’s most beautiful opera houses, notably in Paris and the Île-de-France region. How? Over three more days, from May 8 to 10, 2026, the public is invited to enjoy a range of free activities accessible to everyone, including public rehearsals, concerts, costume and makeup workshops, backstage tours, and meetings with professionals... Note that some events require advance, free reservations.
Proof of its success, this event — highly loved by French audiences — has drawn more than 1.5 million curious fans and enthusiasts to the various French operas taking part in the festival since its launch in 2007.
This year again, the 19th edition of Tous à l'Opéra invites you to push open the doors of roughly twenty opera houses across France, including several opera houses and lyric companies in Paris and Île-de-France. In 2026, the Palais Garnier, the Opéra-Comique, the Opéra Bastille, the Opéra Royal de Versailles and the Opéra de Massy are once again joining the initiative. And the program has been unveiled. This spring, get ready to discover notably a singing tour at the Opéra-Comique’s national theatre, dance classes with Andrey Klemm at Opéra Bastille, or a presentation of unusual musical instruments from Baroque music at the Opéra Royal du Château de Versailles.
Also note that Marie Oppert, a singer and actress and a resident performer at the Comédie-Française, and Neïma Naouri, a singer, are the spokespersons for the event this year.
Opera for All 2026: the program in Paris and Île-de-France
The Palais Garnier in Paris
- Come visit the Palais Garnier, Paris’s iconic opera house.
Saturday, May 9, 2026, from 10:00 to 17:00 (last tour slot at 15:30, last entry at 16:00).
Reservation required on the site from May 5 at 14:30.
National Theatre of the Opéra-Comique in Paris
- The Opéra-Comique opens its doors for a day, offering a peek behind the scenes of a show.
Saturday, May 9, starting at 10:00 AM
All activities are free. Some activities require advance registration on the Opéra-Comique website
- Saturday, May 9 at 10:15 AM and 11:15 AM
Bébés chœurs
Give your child (0–3 years old) a first magical musical experience.
- Saturday, May 9 from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Guided tours of the Opéra-Comique
- Saturday, May 9 at 10:30 AM and 1:00 PM
Chant workshops A friendly moment on the Boieldieu square to sing together.
- Saturday, May 9 from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM and from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Visit the costume and wig workshops
Free with registration
- Saturday, May 9 at 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM
Sing the vaudevilles Discover the troupe’s popular songs that gave birth to the Opéra-Comique, in a participatory talk.
- Saturday, May 9 at 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM
Chanting tour The lecturer-tenor Grégoire Ichou invites you to explore the venue through song.
- Saturday, May 9 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Relax Voice Workshop A session with a choral conductor to uncover the secrets of your singing voice. An inclusive workshop for people with cognitive or mental disabilities.
- Saturday, May 9 from 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM
The making of an opera An educational suitcase to discover how an opera is built through objects, smells, and games.
- Saturday, May 9 at 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM
Masterclass with Louis Langrée Phrasing, style, repertoire. The director shares his passion and experience in this masterclass open to all.
- Saturday, May 9, all day
- Exhibition of opera set models Lucie de Lamermoor by scenography students at the Ecole Bleue.
- Costume exhibition: the craft of natural dyeing.
- Dress up! Put on the stage costumes and accessories for a photo.
- Self-guided tours
- Guinguette on the Boieldieu site.
The Opéra Bastille in Paris
- Masterclass - Violin
The first violinist of the Paris Opera National Orchestra, Mr. Petteri IIvonen, will lead a masterclass at the Bastille Amphitheatre
Saturday, May 9 at 2:30 PM
Registration required from May 5 - free
- Opera Goes to the Cinema
The Communications Department of the Paris Opera National chooses a set of audiovisual gems to screen in Bastille’s 200-seat studio cinema: ADO or Orchestra Apprenticeship, Danser à Tokyo, the two ballets set to Ravel’s music Bolero and Ma Mère l'Oye, and excerpts from Les Métiers d'art
Saturday, May 9 at 10:30, 13:00, 14:30, 16:00
Registrations required from May 5 at 2:30 PM on the Opéra de Paris website
- Free or Guided Walk
Explore the late-19th-century theater freely or with a guide, a space of glass and marble.
Masterclass and workshops offered from 10:00 to 17:00 (last entry at 16:15).
Saturday, May 9 from 10:00
Free to wander, reservations required for the Bastille Opera workshops, from May 5 at 2:30 PM
- Public Barre
Dance class with Andrey Klemm, ballet professor. Participants must wear work attire beneath their street clothes (no cloakroom). On the floor: socks or half-pointe shoes
Saturday, May 9 at 10:30
Free, registration required from May 5 at 2:30 PM on the Opéra de Paris site
- Tune Your Ears to the Pitch
Music in the Bastille’s corridors. From 14:15 to 16:30, Alexander Martin, Director of Stage Music at the Paris Opera, and his musicians will treat you to a few crowd-pleasers.
Saturday, May 9 starting at 14:15
Massy Opera
- Massy Opera House opens all day on May 9
Come with family or friends to discover the stunning venues and activities planned around the Barbe Noir opera.
Surprises await visitors outside on the forecourt of the Opéra de Massy.
Saturday, May 9 starting at 10:00 AM
Royal Opera of the Palace of Versailles
- Exceptional visit to the Opéra Royal du Château de Versailles
Friday, May 8 from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM and Saturday, May 9 from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Free entry, no reservations required, complimentary
- Self-guided, complimentary tour of the Opéra Royal, from its historical backstage areas to the colonnade, including the King’s box and the stalls.
- Showcase of unusual Baroque musical instruments.
- Choral/vocal demonstrations by young performers in the Royal Foyer.
- Baroque dance demonstrations by the Opéra Royal Ballet.
- Exhibition of stage costumes created for operas staged at the Opéra Royal.
