Copenhagen Opera Tickets: how to buy, prices and discounts

The Copenhagen National Opera House is a true icon of the city and one of the best things to see and do in Copenhagen. Thanks to its modern architecture and careful construction, it has achieved the best sound quality, so the plays can be heard perfectly from any seat or balcony you choose. It also has the best views of Copenhagen harbour.

In this article I will tell you how to get tickets, benefit cards and discounts that you can take advantage of during your visit to the Opera House. I will also tell you what other theatre-related sites you can't miss, such as the Old Stage House and the Royal Danish Playhouse, to give you a more complete picture of this amazing theatre.

The easiest and quickest way to buy your ticket is on the National Opera House's website, where you will find a diagram of the theatre with its balconies and seats. By selecting a location, you can see what the stage looks like from there, so you can choose your seat with the information you need.

This way you can avoid queuing at the box office and choose a good place to see your favourite plays, because if you buy directly at the theatre, you will have to make do with the seats and balconies that are free. In addition, the website has all the information about the plays that are on the bill. The service charge is minimal, approximately €2.

The means of payment to buy your ticket are: - Cash- Credit and debit cards, using the website or the app: Mastercard, Visa, Visa Electron, Darkort, Supper Club, Eurocard, Maestro, Mobile Payment. No fees apply for using the cards on the website or app - Gift cards. In general, they are valid for 3 years and can only be used for performances sold by the Teatro Real.

How to buy tickets at the box office

If you prefer, you can buy tickets at the box office, but remember to go in advance so that you can choose a good location.

The theatre's box office is open Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 4pm, while it is closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. The Royal Opera House, The Royal Playhouse and The Old Stage box offices are only open on performance days and from 2 hours prior to each performance.

• Location of the Opera Box Office: Ekvipagemestervej 10, 1438 København K.
• Location of other ticket offices: August Bournonvilles Passage 8, Postboks 2185, 1017 Koebenhavn.

How to buy tickets by phone

If it is easier for you, you can contact the Theatre Royal box office by phone to purchase your ticket, Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 4pm. This can be a good option if you are visiting Copenhagen in winter, and it is not easy to buy tickets online.

On the other hand, if you have reduced mobility, you can book your ticket in advance by phone. This way you can buy your companion's ticket for free.

• Telephone: +45 33 69 69 69

The Copenhagen Opera House has a reputation for being the most expensive opera house in the world, but in reality you can enjoy performances at affordable and discounted prices, and even see performances completely free of charge. Seat prices range from €19 to €135.

Performances vary in price, depending on the popularity of the performance, the location of the seats, production costs, the fame of the cast or publicity. Every month you will find special free performances, bearing in mind that the season starts in mid-August in Copenhagen and ends in June.

On the other hand, the premiere performance is usually more expensive than the revival. When performances are re-released, tickets are much more affordable. You don't have to wait a long time, as they usually repeat the performance in about 4-6 months. For example, a ticket during the premiere can cost from 115 to 135 € and at the revival it ranges from 23 to 135 €.

At the Copenhagen Opera, there are also ballet performances, whose prices range from 22 to 110 €, and are cheaper than for the opera. You can also choose to see a concert, which costs between €27 and €40, less than opera and ballet performances.

There are 4 categories of tickets at the Copenhagen Opera House to see performances: parquet, first, second or third balcony. The parquet seats are the most expensive, due to their central location in the theatre; and the balcony seats vary in price according to their proximity to the stage, with the first balcony being more expensive, and the third balcony cheaper.

After you choose a category, you will find that each category is divided into rows. The price of each seat varies according to the quality of its view of the stage, so a ticket with a view of the centre will be more expensive than a seat on the sides.

As there are no special tickets to the Opera without queues, you should arrive at least 20 minutes before the performance starts, which is recommended by the theatre.

Tickets to the Copenhagen Opera House are not included in any city sightseeing pass. However, if you plan to attend regularly, you may be interested in purchasing a National Opera House card.

With this card you get a 10% discount on all tickets to see performances at the theatre, but not for performances by outside organisations. It is worth around 35€ and is valid for one year.

In addition, with the card you can get a 10% discount in bars, cafes and restaurants of the Teatro Real, 4 free drinks and a 50% discount on parking, on the days of the performance of your choice. Remember to check the availability of this benefit and from which days of the week or weekends it is available.

On the website of the Opera, you can see the requirements to obtain your card and how to send it so that you can start using it. You can also buy it at the theatre box office.

The Royal Danish Opera House has a lot to offer in addition to the performances, so there are several different tours: The Opera House, which focuses on the modern architecture of the building; The Royal Danish Playhouse, where you can see the behind-the-scenes preparations; and The Old Stage, which is an old building where some ballet performances are held.

Tours must be scheduled in advance and take place in groups, with exclusive discounts for groups of 30 people. The tours are conducted by an expert guide who is part of the theatre staff and last approximately one and a half hours for each building. They can be booked by writing to the following address: rundvisning@kglteater.dk.

The Opera House

The Opera House is a tour of the theatre itself, which is one of the finest buildings in Copenhagen. It was built thanks to a donation from billionaire Marsk Mc-Kinney Moller and is one of the most modern and expensive buildings in Europe.

The impressive golden roof is covered with 24-carat gold panels, the façade is made of metal and there is a large auditorium with superb sound quality. Marsk designed the balconies with spaces to enhance the sound. It is one of the best things to see if you are in Copenhagen for 2 days.

On the tour you will see the foyer of the Opera House which has an excellent panoramic view of Amalienborg Palace, Copenhagen harbour and the Frederiksstaden district. You will also see Olafur Eliasson's famous light sculptures.

The Old Stage

This building used to be a theatre, which was founded in 1748, and is now only used for ballet performances. It contains old paintings on the ceiling: the famous swinging angels and the traditional chandelier of the theatre hall.

During your visit, you can watch the artists getting ready and see all the staff (photographers, tailors, etc.) working on the preparations. Among the most interesting sights you will see the private salon of Queen Margrethe II

The Royal Danish Playhouse

It is an Italian Renaissance-style architecture, where you can watch the performers getting ready to go on stage, or see how they put together the set pieces and prepare the lighting. The Royal Danish Playhouse 's most striking stages are the black spaces of the Gate Stage and the Small Stagen.

Other guided tours

Some performances offer guided behind-the-scenes tours, which must be booked in advance. These are usually for current performances, but it is best to check if the option is available for the performance you wish to see.

You can also purchase a combo of a guided tour plus ticket to the performance, with 10% discounts on tickets for groups of up to 10 people. There are also packages where you can purchase a guided tour plus dinner before the performance.

Guided tours usually last about 45-60 minutes, and you can do them on their own, without seeing the performance afterwards. Please note that even if you have booked a behind-the-scenes tour, there is no guarantee that it will take place. The theatre is in operation and may decide to cancel at the last minute.

Bookings for these backstage shows can be made on the Opera website, at the box office or by telephone, as well as for tickets.

A good initiative offered by the National Opera House to attract all audiences, especially young people and children, is to reduce the ticket price by 50% for children under the age of 12 and approximately 40% less for young people under the age of 25.

This discount is available for all performances, whether ballet, concert or opera, and can be used during premieres and revivals. It is also available for all seats, both parquet and balcony. To activate the discount, it is important that you bring your passport to prove your age.

In addition, there are often performances for the under 30s, known as Young Opera, at a promotional cost. There is also a 10% discount for groups of more than 10 people, if you buy your tickets at the same time.

If you are going to Copenhagen with children, it's good to know that children from 0-2 years old get in free, and children under 12 years old get a 50% discount on tickets to the Opera House. Children must reserve their seats just like adults.

Please note that one of the theatre's rules is that children attending the opera must be mature enough to sit quietly in their seats so as not to disturb the audience.

On the other hand, the theatre offers special tickets and performances for young people between 15 and 30 years of age. They can see the Ópera Joven for an exclusive and more economical price. In addition, they can buy drinks, wine and different foods at much cheaper prices. For the rest of the theatre performances, young people aged 13 to 25 get a 40% discount on tickets.

If you want to get to know the theatre and see the opera performances, it is best to get your tickets in advance, as some performances sell out very quickly. In this sense, buying tickets online will be more convenient and faster than buying them at the box office, especially if you are staying far from the theatre.

You should also bear in mind that it is best to choose your seat, balcony or parquet as far in advance as possible, so that you can enjoy the performance from the best location. However, as the Opera House is one of Copenhagen's most iconic buildings, both for its architecture and sound quality, you will enjoy an excellent show from whichever location you choose.

The Copenhagen Opera House is located in the city of Copenhagen, and has three houses, the location of which is as follows:

• The Royal Opera House, located in the famous building built in 2005. It is located at Ekvipagemestervej 10, 1438 København K.
• The Old Stage: This is an old theatre where performances are also held. It is located in the central Kongens Nytorv square.
• The Royal Playhouse, located in Sankt Annae Plads 36, 1250, Kobenhavn K. It is where you can see the behind-the-scenes of the plays.

Public transport

In Copenhagen you can use the following means of public transport:

• Metro: it is a modern and fast transport, which has two lines, M1 and M2. To get from the airport to the Opera House you should take the M2 because it is more direct. It takes about 15 minutes and drops you off at Christianshavns station, 5 minutes from the theatre. From there you can take bus 9A, walk or take a taxi.
• Taxi: it is the most expensive way of transport, but it is the easiest and fastest. From the airport to the theatre it takes about 20 minutes.
• Bus: it is the slowest option, as it takes 45 minutes or an hour from the airport to the Opera, and you may have to wait for about 15 minutes at the bus stop.

An interesting fact is that all means of public transport, be it metro, train or bus, use the same method of payment, that of tickets. To visit the Opera House, you must buy a ticket for zone 1, which corresponds to the city centre.

How to get to the Opera House by car

From the airport, you can get to the Opera House in approximately 20 minutes, the shortest route being via Amager Strandvej. You have the option of renting a car, taking a taxi, or hiring a private transfer.

Another good option is the City Pass for the airport and downtown areas, which you can purchase for 24-72 hours. This is handy if you want to visit Copenhagen in 3 days or two, and plan to use public transport. There are also tourist cards in Copenhagen that include free public transport for 3 to 7 days.

If you are going to walk around the centre of Copenhagen, you can buy a 24-hour ticket, which gives you unlimited travel on all forms of public transport, whether by metro, bus or water bus. And if you want to get to the main tourist destinations without delay, you can book a Hop on Hop off Bus in Copenhagen, which also takes you to the Opera House.