We will be in Vienna in September and would like to attend an opera. Depending on which opera is showing, I think I would prefer to have a seat rather than a "standing" ticket. I have seen advice on this forum as too which sections for standing tickets are the most advantageous, but not for regular tickets. I'd rather not break the bank and was wondering if anyone has advice on which of the more economical seat sections are the best value.
Thank you for any advice.
https://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/en/calendar/opera/2026/april/
As of today, ticket sales for operas are only available through the end of March. So stay tuned.
You can see the ticket prices on this site, The cheaper the ticket, the further it is from the stage, but it is not that big a house. Certainly not as big as a lot of American houses like the Met, or the Lyric.
If you go to the official website. ( www.wiener-staatsoper.at ). you can select your seats. Clicking a specific seat and then clicking “seat preview” will show you a photo of what the view from that specific seat actually looks like.
Orchestra seats obviously offer the best views— and also
are the most expensive. I paid for orchestra seats a few months ago for a performance of Rigoletto at the Teatro la Scala in Milan. The seats were about $300 each and they were worth every penny. The view matched the seat preview I saw online. After getting up at 1 am on the June morning when seats first went on sale to the general public — I was determined to buy the best seats possible for this exceptional event. Most seats were sold out within 30 minutes of going on sale.
Seats at the Vienna Staatsoper usually are significantly more expensive, however. Loge seats are more affordable, if you can find one you’re satisfied with the “seat preview” online.
I’ve been to several operas at the Wiener Staatsoper and often have bought the “Stehplatz “ or “standing room” tickets. These tickets are for different locations and cost about $15-$21. Although called “standing room” tickets, you actually can SIT on the plush floor carpet and you don’t have to stand. This is what virtually everyone does who has a “stehplatz” ticket for a performance of two to three hours.
Don't break the bank, but my advice is to get the best seats you can afford. Our one and only Vienna Opera experience was in 2015. Better seats were available, but I bought seats in the next to the cheapest section. The music was incredible, and the seats were comfortable, but we couldn't see all of the stage. I regret scrimping on the experience of a lifetime - for me at least.
When you go to the opera's website, in the schedule you can see the price ranges for every performance marked with colored dots. The price range is different depending on what is played and who is singing.
On every 1st of a month at 10am (local time) ticket sales start for performances two months ahead, e.g., on February 1st ticket sales for April will start. Best is to have already an account, being logged in, waiting at the right webpage. Admittedly, an early morning experience when being in the US.
Warning: This is different for performances in September when the new season starts. On April 12th, 2026 there will be the presentation of the 2026/27 schedule. About two weeks later there will be a special ticket reservation day for September and October. The exact date is to be announced.
I am going to suggest something that may or may not be true. I just know that its true in my current hometown, and it “might” carry over to Vienna. A Vienna resident may know of flaws in this and if they step forward we both learn. So, no issue with that. Most of the great venues in the world have become major tourist attractions, which is great as it helps to ensure that the fine arts survive.
If you are an opera or a music aficionado it really doesn’t matter how many tourists there are as you will be going to where you believe the highest quality performance exists, tourist or no tourists. If you are like me, you may have some understanding of quality but it’s as much about cultural events as it is the absolute performance quality. For the best cultural experience, I want to be surrounded by locals.
This is how I would approach it and on my two experiences in Vienna it seemed to work for me; but admittedly the results of two experiences are not fact, it’s anecdotal.
I look for Friday and Saturday evening performances. That’s when working people (locals) can go and those are more likely to be the days for Subscription Tickets (what only locals buy). If it’s a premier of a production, that’s the most ideal. I look as far in the future as possible and look for one where most of the best seats are sold out, again, I suspect more locals. Of course, I think more of the standing room being sold out is also a sign of a lot of locals. I did a little study at the Oprea and other theaters in my hometown and the number of tourists on the nights I describe above was significantly lower than in the mid-week; and from my point of view the resulting experience is very different.
Then yes, for sight line and for the company, I would buy the best seat I can afford. At 220+€ a seat for the best seat in Vienna I can’t do the best, but I try. Still, for me, even a cheaper seat on a night with more locals will be more of what I am looking for than the best seat with tourists on both sides of me. If I have a question about the quality of the seat, I know that I can click on it, then in the upper right corner of the page see a seat preview button and I can see the approximate view from the seat before I buy it.
Of course if none of that works with your schedule and you are in Vienna, the heck with it, you still gotta go. Its that good.
For many, one of the beauties of the Opera in Vienna is that they encourage you to come as you are. They define not sufficiently dressed as “flip-flops, an undershirt as a top or very short shorts”. For the RS crowd that travels for a month with nothing but carry-on, Vienna is perfect; polo shirt, jeans and tennis shoes it is.
A Vienna resident may know of flaws in this and if they step forward we both learn. So, no issue with that.
Thank you all for the replies. It's good to know that I can preview the seats online. I will start previewing with some of the current showings just to get a feel for the seats. Also great advice to create an account, etc ahead of time.
It's also good to know that one can sit on the carpet with standing room tickets. The issue is that my husband has difficulty getting up from the floor. But depending on the prices we encounter for regular seats, we'll keep that as a last option.
Again, thank you for all the great advice
Get seats. I learned this 30 years ago, when I was considerably more fit, and I stood through Salome in Vienna. The view was marred by the people sitting in front and it was a long time to be standing. No way could you have sat on the carpet and seen anything. You want to be on the main floor, as far forward as possible. (Although in the first few rows you do have an issue with looking up for an extended time.) Beautiful decor, great acoustics, pick a good story and really have a memory to cherish.
KGC, great information. I would have messed up. This is the little stuff that the forum is good for. Here the standing "seats" are a very local thing and from that perspective it is reportedly sort of fun. But here they are all in the balcony and according to the opera house tour guide have good sight lines. Here, I've only sat in boxes, so some day I was going to try standing. Here they go on sale 2 hours before the performacne. I would have just assumed standing was in the balcony in Vienna, surprising its on the floor, and I would have bought something I might have regretted. Something i read says they put 600 in the standing area. That cant be correct? http://likelyimpossibilities.com/2010/09/ich-kann-nicht-sitzen-standing-room-a-2.html But you know what, if I were young again, why not at least once.
We attended the Vienna Staatsoper for a ballet, and it was a wonderful experience! It’s good the seat preview lets you see the view because we were in box seats fairly close to the orchestra, and we were looking sideways - still could see everything. But the people sitting behind us in the box had an obstructed view.
This may not apply to you, but I will mention it, My husband was not a fan of opera, but I did wish to attend one on a trip he was traveling with me. We decided together that I would go ahead & attend, and he could happily not have to join me. : ). He had a nice dinner, and he also surprised me. As I exited the opera house, he was there waiting to walk me home - very sweet! Since he didn’t want to go, that gave me the chance to pick out a nicer seat since it was just one ticket.
The Vienna Opera is one of the most beautiful and if you get it on a good night one of the highest quality there is. Its really hard to go wrong.
Standing space is on the balcony, behind 2-3 rows of seats. I don't think there's anyplace where you can stand up to the rail.
I would have just assumed standing was in the balcony in Vienna, surprising its on the floor, and I would have bought something I might have regretted. Something i read says they put 600 in the standing area.
The standing area is on three levels: Parterre, Balkon and Galerie. On the floor plan they are marked with tiny grey dots.
There are 435 standing room tickets sold (in addition to 1709 seats). Ticket sales for those start at 10am on the day of the performance (online and box office), however a certain amount of tickets is withheld, to be sold at the special standing room ticket counter, starting 80 minutes before commencement of the performance. See here.
Please be aware that the very moment the conductor has mounted his podium all doors to the auditorium will be closed. No entry is permitted then until the next intermission. There is no tolerance or mercy for latecomers, even if you are only 10 seconds late or hold one of the most expensive tickets. Especially Americans are prone to start an argument with the ushers then, feeling entitled having spent so much money ("The customer is always right!").
KGC thank you.
wmt1 you are correct, its ALWAYS those pesty entited Americans with too much money causing all the problems. Easy to spot them, the only ones speaking English.
Hey Samson here. if you are looking for a premium and best valued sections. The front rows of the stalls, also known as the parterre, provide panoramic views and acoustics. These seats sell out fast; therefore, it is recommended to book in advance.
Thanks
Samson
