Sofia Opera & Ballet House — Attraction in Sofia City

As classical as an opera house can get!

Every season we try and book as many shows in advance as we can, as we love going to operas and ballets.

The view of the stat stage is pretty good from anywhere in the hall, though for the best experience is recommend getting a seat in the first 8-9 rows. Anything further back and you're starting to miss out on the performance, as the stage is relatively small.

Soft drinks and wine are available for purchase before the show (and during intermission), along with light snacks and chocolate bars.

If you're new to this type of show, be sure to buy a program before the show starts, it you may not understand what's going on on the stage. It costs about 3 leva, and if well worth the investment. (Or, you can just Google the show beforehand, which is what we do sometimes when we're in a rush.)

Two things to note: The ventilation in the hall is terrible! There isn't enough air circulation going on, which means that you may, all of a sudden, feel very tired and dose off. It's happened to us more than a few times, even when we went for a noon show. If you're a lady, be prepared to stand in line for the bathroom. There are two bathrooms on each floor, with 1-2 stalls, which is not enough for the amount of people the hall can accommodate. So keep that in mind, and plan your breaks...

23/04/2023: 15 min after the opera started they were still opening the doors to let the late comers take their seats. Why all of us, that we were on time, get punished by having our view blocked temporarily & hearing the noices instead of enjoying the opera? The 3 women staff from the cloakroom were inside kept moving & talking to each other during the whole performance! No respect for the people they have come to enjoy the performance! They do not have training? One of them placed a chair right behind my seat, so every time she moved, kick, coughed was disturbing. Ten min after the last break the doors opened again for 2 persons to sit in front of us in two empty seats. People had to stand up for them to pass & then they played musical chairs to go and sit somewhere else! How do they allow it? There is No management? NO rules? At the end of the performance the 3 women staff were happily clamping for what they enjoyed but we didn't bcs of them. For sure they enjoyed it more than we did, as it was free & they could have their little talks undirsturbed! In which other European opera something like this happens? No respect! No training! No education!

The English translation...

My ballet experience was unfortunately overshadowed by some disruptive elements. The group in front of us spent a considerable amount of time bickering about their obstructed view, primarily caused by a child sitting on someone's lap. This ongoing dispute created an unpleasant atmosphere and detracted from the overall enjoyment.

Moreover, a particular individual, presumably a girl, seemed more engrossed in her phone than the performance. Her consistent phone usage was not only distracting but also disrespectful to the performers and fellow audience members. What made matters worse was her deliberate positioning to be in the direct eye view of the staff, impacting the viewing experience for those around her.

While the ballet itself was undoubtedly a beautiful and artistic display, these disruptive incidents significantly diminished the overall enjoyment of the performance. It would be beneficial for the venue to consider implementing measures to address such disruptions, ensuring a more immersive and respectful atmosphere for...