5 Best Performing Arts Venues in Moscow, Russia

This world-renowned theater continues to produce innovative shows, despite a string of recent scandals—including the resignation of its two ballet stars and an acid attack on its artistic director. The Russian flair for set and costume design alone can often be enough to keep an audience enthralled. Performances on the main stage sell out quickly, so order tickets far in advance. Tickets for the second stage next to the main theater are easier to come by.

In addition to delivering consistently appealing and critically acclaimed opera performances, the Helikon troupe is equally talented in space management: even the grandest of classics are fitted with ease onto the small stage.

After opening in 1991, the Novaya ("New") opera house quickly established itself as one of the best and most innovative in Moscow. The surrounding Hermitage Garden is perfect for a pre- or post-theater stroll and bite to eat. The choir is ranked as the best in the city.

A wide range of well-produced operas and ballets are performed at the Stanislavsky, with tickets generally easier to come by than those for the Bolshoi or Novaya Opera.

Formerly the hall where Soviet Communist Party congresses were held, this modern concert venue now hosts regular performances by opera and ballet troupes, including those from the Bolshoi and Mariinsky. Of late it has also become the stage for international performers such as Elton John, Mariah Carey, and Cirque du Soleil. Entrance is through the whitewashed Kutafya Gate.