Paris Opera Celebrates 150 Years with Immersive VR Premiere

• La Magie Opéra is a new multi-user VR experience running May 7 to August 31 inside the Palais Garnier.
• The 25-minute production immerses visitors in operatic dreamscapes inspired by Rusalka, Tosca, and Carmen.

A new virtual reality experience titled La Magie Opéra has opened at the Bibliothèque-musée de l’Opéra, inside the historic Palais Garnier. The experience invites visitors to follow a surreal musical journey through the venue’s iconic spaces using HTC's VIVE Focus 3 headsets. The project is part of the Paris Opera’s celebration of the building’s 150th anniversary.

Created by the Paris-based studio BackLight in collaboration with the Opéra national de Paris and VIVE Arts, La Magie Opéra is a multi-user, geolocated VR experience that follows a young singer named Céleste through dreamlike scenes inside the Palais Garnier. Visitors follow the character Céleste through a series of surreal scenes that blend the Palais Garnier’s interiors with moments from Rusalka, Tosca, and Carmen. The experience uses location-based VR to guide participants through the opera house, merging music, architecture, and storytelling into a single continuous path.

"Opera has always been a pioneering art form, constantly exploring new ways of creating and reaching out to audiences. With La Magie Opéra, we are celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Palais Garnier by embracing virtual reality. This immersive collaboration with Backlight and VIVE Arts invites the public to discover the magic of opera through a few emblematic arias in a new way. This experience bears witness to an artistic discipline that is constantly evolving, while at the same time being heir to a rich and living tradition," said Alexander Neef, Directeur général de l'Opéra national de Paris, on the company's website.

The 25-minute production is available in French and English, including priority access to the opera house and admission to the VR experience. Presented at the Bibliothèque-musée de l’Opéra, it runs from May 7 to August 31 and is recommended for ages 12 and up. This marks the start of an ongoing collaboration between VIVE Arts and the Paris Opera focused on immersive artistic experiences.

🌀 Tom’s Take:

VR pairs naturally with theater, allowing audiences to step inside the story itself. It opens up new ways to re-experience classic works and the spaces that hold them, again and again, from every angle.

Source: Opéra national de Paris