The Paris Opera returns to profit for the first time since 2017

The Paris Opera became profitable again in 2023, for the first time since 2017, in particular thanks to “the return of the public to the theaters” and a record number of visits to the Palais Garnier, the institution announced on Wednesday. Last year, “the activity of the Paris Opera experienced very positive artistic and commercial dynamics, enabling it to generate a profit of 2.3 million euros,” she indicated in her presentation file. of the 2024-2025 season. “Own resources increased by 14 million euros compared to 2022, thanks to the return of the public to the theaters” (68 million ticket revenue, average physical gauge of 93%), “at the historic level of visitor revenue of the Palais Garnier” (1.2 million visitors, 12 million euros in turnover) and “the development of patronage” (revenues reaching 23.5 million euros, or 5 million above historical levels ). At the same time, “artistic production expenses as well as current operating costs have in particular been contained (energy consumption for example)”, according to management.

The Paris National Opera specifies that the increase of 6 million euros in the State subsidy, between 2021 and 2023, “made it possible to partially offset the effects of inflation over the period”.

Also read: Alexander Neef reappointed head of the Paris Opera until 2032

The institution has also announced a rich program for the next season. The prologue to Wagner's Tetralogy, Rheingold, in its version directed by Calixto Bieito, canceled in 2020 due to the health crisis, will be given at the Opéra Bastille in January 2025. The director of the theater national de la Colline, Wajdi Mouawad, will direct the production of Pelléas et Mélisande by Claude Debussy, one of the most important operas in the French repertoire. This is the third time he has directed an opera.

On the dance side, Israeli choreographer Sharon Eyal returns to the Paris Opera by adapting one of her pieces, OCD Love (2015), with the pointe technique, for the company's dancers. It thus responds to a strong wish of dance director José Martinez to introduce the pointe shoe into contemporary ballets. In addition, the choreographer Hofesh Shechter, whose three ballets are already in the Opera Ballet's repertoire, will imagine, for the first time, a piece for a company other than his own.