Paris Opera Garnier - Experts PLEASE!
 

I will be in Paris for New Years, and thought an evening at the Opera Garnier would be the perfect romantic place to celebrate. The show of the evening is a concert, Concert du Réveillon, which features Mozart (one of my favorites). Unfortunately, seats range from 100 - 300 Euros. The 100 Euro seats are nosebleed seats. Is it so expensive because it's NYE? Is it worth 100 Euros per person, just to experience Opera Garnier, regardless of where the seats are located? I don't mind 100E (if t is enjoyable), but 300E is a bit crazy.

They are probably already substantially booked. The lowest priced seats were 40 euro, but those are apparently gone now.

... well it IS New Year's Eve...
everything will be more expensive.

... aaah, to be there NYE in tails and gowns!

(or cargo pants and a bomber jacket for some...)

I haven't looked at the site, but it is pretty easy to figure out that yes the prices are high because it is New Year's Eve, and yes, they are likely to be pretty scarce for that night.

How long are you there? Can you do the Opera Garnier another night?

I really enjoyed the ballet we saw there this summer, despite our "nosebleed" seats. But I would have been very unhappy if I had paid such a high price for them. I'd spend the 300E another way and look for cheaper seats for another concert or event at the Garnier.

I'm no expert in Opera Garnier, I've never been in Paris. But every Opera House , concert hall, etc..on New Year's Eve do something special and that's why it's more expensive. At 00.00 AM it's likely they give you champaigne (they give you the twelve grapes as is the custom if you are here in Spain) and are usually very elegant events. I'm sure you will not regret to pay the 100 euros ticket even if they are not the best seats. And yes, 300 look too much :)

I don't think it would be worth the price, even though it is an exceptional experience. But I am a skinflint anyway.

I must confess that the last time I was there, I was seated in the presidential loge (box), hovering over the left hand side of the stage (really bad angle). This miracle was because I was invited by a colleague whose husband was one of the former president's bodyguards. As there are about 20 presidential boxes in the various Paris theatres, reserved permanently for his use, he left all of the extra ones at the disposal of his staff.

Concerts at the Garnier are usually cheaper than the opera/dance performances, so there should be plenty of other chances to see the theater if you want.

YOu can't expect to go to a special NY eve gala anywhere and not pay high prices for it. I don't think those prices are too bad if they included something other than the concert, actually, given it is NY eve and other places are going to cost a lot, also. However, I just checked and that concert begins at 7:30, so it probably won't run past 9:30-10 or so. You are going to have to dress up for that, also.


Personally, I stay home on NY eve to avoid high prices.

Thanks everyone. I will only be in Paris for 4 nights, and the Opera Garnier is dark the other 3 nights. So it's NYE, or nothing. I guess the other option would be to tour the Opera House so that we are still able to enjoy the beauty.

Last Friday, I got tickets for Saturday's ballet performance in the Theater Champs-Ellyses. 65 Euros and WAS a nosebleed seat--kicked in my fear of heights for sure. Luckily I took my small binoculars and enjoyed the ballet. You are in PARIS for NEW YEARS so you may want to splurge and/or take small binoculars. Haven't seen a performance in the Garnier (every time I try, tickets are sold out) but hear that it is a beautiful theater.

Considering it's a concert and not a ballet, I'd go for the tickets. The Chagall ceiling alone would make my day (or night as the case is here.)

Nosebleeds at the Garnier cannot be that far away -- it is tiny inside. At worst, you may have a funny angle.

FYI, 100 euros for anything on NYE in Paris is a pretty good deal.

L'Opera Garnier is absolutely beautiful, but don't think I'd pay that much. It must be because it's New Year's Eve, as we paid 60 euros for box seats to see the Paris Opera Ballet perform.

Sandy

We purchased nose bleed tickets for a ballet last summer, they were the last seats available but only cost 8 Euro so we decided to take them. We could see maybe a third of the stage and that was it. Stayed until the first intermission and went down to the main floor to see the ceiling and left.

I would think about this. How many times will you be in Paris for New Year's eve and have a chance to have the experience? Some things are worth the extra money as they create lifetime memories which are in the end priceless.

I always get good seats at the Garnier because it is a special experience to me, and I don't enjoy ballet unless I can see it well. They are usually 70-80 euro for orchestra seats in there, for a ballet, which is a little more than I pay at home for top ballet at a major theatre in a large city.

The Garnier theatre isn't that tiny and I can easily imagine you couldn't see much from the far-back and high seats. The theatre has 2000-2200 seats, which may be small in comparison to many venues, but there are bad seats. I do like the stage at the Bastille Opera for larger scale works (which is why they have some ballets there and many more operas), but that theatre only seats 2700, so the Garnier isn't super tiny. At least sight won't be as important for a concert as a ballet, though.

I don't think 100 euro is too much for NY eve for a special experience, and a concert. It is up to you, of course, as I'm not sure even I'd pay that, but I'm not into the whole NY eve thing, as I said. But one thing I would want to find out first is how long it lasts, because it does start at 7:30. So, if you want this to be a super NY eve event, and it's over at 10, you haven't solved that issue. I just can't imagine a concert lasting 5 hours (nor would I want one to). A lot of this is vocal works, it appears, not just orchestral. One of the featured singers is a very newly popular opera singer, and I might go for that reason (Angela Gheorghiu). She is doing some of her Romanian works that have become better known from a CD and TV. YOu can read reviews about it on amazon.com or somewhere, which might affect your opinion of what it will be like and if you are interested. If you are only going for the building and aren't that interested in the singing, I wouldn't pay that.

Ohh, It's an Angela Gheorghiu concert ? Then...that's the reason of the price besides the new years eve date. She is a top opera singer right now and none of her concerts are cheap at all :)) But I will pay the 100 euros for the concert..not at all to see the Garnier, I suppose there are cheaper ways to experience it. But the whole event would be worthy for me :)