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Events at Marseille’s municipal opera house
A few streets from the Vieux-Port, Opéra de Marseille makes spaces available for private events alongside its artistic season. The main auditorium and Ernest Reyer foyer allow organisers to distinguish a performance or seated gathering from a cocktail reception or dinner. The External Relations and Cultural Activities team handles enquiries from organisations wishing to hold an event at the institution.
Two spaces with different capacities
The official 2026–2027 brochure lists 1,711 seats in the main auditorium. Stalls, balconies, boxes and an upper amphitheatre form an Italian-style theatre space decorated in red, gold and silver. This figure describes audience seating in the auditorium; it is not a dining capacity.
The Ernest Reyer foyer covers 200 square metres. According to the same brochure, it accommodates approximately 100 dinner guests or 200 people for cocktails. The grand staircases lead to this space, where the parquet combines different woods with ebony motifs. Its ceiling, painted by Augustin Carrera, draws on the legend of Orpheus. The space and layout must be discussed with the opera house before booking.
Planning a reception or cultural project
Enquiries are considered by the events contact on +33 4 91 55 91 90 or at gschmitt@marseille.fr. The seasonal brochure sets out the space-hire offer and its contact; request a rental price for the chosen time slot, scope and services. Technical needs, reception arrangements, staffing and setup times should be specified. Performance-ticket prices apply to the public programme.
A historic building with an active programme
The building opened in 1787. Following the 1919 fire, its reconstruction in the 1920s retained the exterior structures and combined the older colonnade with Art Deco architecture. The 2026–2027 programme includes operas and concerts, while the foyer also hosts chamber-music events. Private hire therefore needs to be arranged around the artistic calendar.
Entrances and transport
The public entrance is on Place Ernest-Reyer, and the administrative entrance is at 2 Rue Molière. The M1 metro serves Vieux-Port; tram T3 stops at Rome-Davso. Arrangements for guests with disabilities should be made in advance: a secondary entrance is identified on the left-hand side, but the route to the foyer requires a specific check. Guide dogs are welcome.
Photograph credit
“Marseille (France), the opera”, photographed on 24 May 2013 — Philippe Alès / Wikimedia Commons, perspective correction by Paris 16, CC BY-SA 3.0. Converted to WebP under the same licence.
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Venue highlights
The venue in detail
Useful information is immediately visible so you can compare without opening several menus.
Events
- Company party
- Group meal
- Show and concert
Venue types
- Theatre and auditorium
Actual capacity
- Seated capacity1 711 people
- Standing reception capacity200 people
Setting and surroundings
- City centre
- Historic site
Available spaces
- Indoor room
Access and facilities
- Accessibility of the spacesSubject to conditions
- Accessible spaces and further detailsPublic entrance on Place Ernest-Reyer; administrative entrance at 2 Rue Molière. M1 metro Vieux-Port and tram T3 Rome-Davso. A dedicated secondary entrance is identified to the left of the façade; the accessibility listing reports steps and no lift. Check the route to each space, particularly the foyer reached by the grand staircases. Guide dogs are welcome.
- Other spaces and facilitiesOfficial 2026–2027 brochure: auditorium with 1,711 seats; 200-square-metre Ernest Reyer foyer for approximately 100 dinner guests or 200 people at a cocktail reception. Capacities are not added together, and theatre capacity is not a banquet capacity. These recent seasonal figures replace the older 1,750 seats / 300 cocktail guests still on the web page.
Reception formats
- Reception
- Cocktail reception
- Seated dinner
Event schedule
- Schedule detailsThe venue is operating during the 2026–2027 season. Hire availability and times must be agreed around the performance, concert and rehearsal calendar. Door-opening times for public performances are not the contractual times for private hire.
Exclusive hire and permissions
- Exclusive use of the spacesSubject to conditions
- Spaces and conditions for exclusive hireSpaces in the opera house are made available alongside its programme. Agree the reserved area, layout, times and event conditions with the External Relations and Cultural Activities team.
Experience and introduction
- Year established1 787
- Venue introduction and highlightsHistoric opera house near the Vieux-Port, opened in 1787 and rebuilt in the 1920s after the 1919 fire. Italian-style auditorium in red, gold and silver. The Ernest Reyer foyer has parquet with ebony motifs and an Augustin Carrera ceiling inspired by Orpheus. Opera, symphonic and chamber-music activity.
Prices and inclusions
The base price, included services and possible extras are clearly separated.
Personalised quotation
Included in the price
The contents of the price have not yet been detailed.
Options and extras
No extras have yet been specified.
Useful conditions
Confirm pricing conditions with the venue.
Pricing details
- Amounts and conditions of other additional charges
- Request private-hire pricing according to the space, time slot and services. The official offer and 2026–2027 brochure provide capacities and the events contact without a rental amount. Specify the reserved area, technical assistance, staffing, reception services, setup time and tax treatment. Public performance-ticket prices are not private-hire rates.