Hanoi Opera House (Nha Hat Lon)

The Hanoi Opera House, known in Vietnamese as Nha Hat Lon, stands at 1 Trang Tien in Trang Tien Ward, Hoan Kiem District, at the eastern end of Trang Tien about 500 metres from Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi, Vietnam. Completed in 1911, this French colonial theatre was modelled on the Palais Garnier in Paris, with a marble lobby, a domed auditorium of around 600 seats and a balcony from which the August 1945 revolution was proclaimed. The Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra, the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet and visiting ensembles perform here, and the programme ranges from symphonic concerts and opera to ballet and touring productions. The audience is a mix of Hanoi's cultural community, expatriates, tour groups and visitors, mostly adults, and the atmosphere is formal and reverent. Smart or smart-casual dress is customary for evening performances, and shorts and beachwear are out of place. Music is classical and orchestral, with performances typically starting from about 20:00. The venue is a theatre rather than a bar, so drinks are limited to what is offered in the foyer at intervals, if at all. The box office is open daily from about 08:00 to 17:00, and performance tickets cost about 200,000-1,500,000 VND, or USD 7.69-57.69, depending on the event and seat. Guided daytime tours, including a short live performance, run when the stage is free and start from about 400,000 VND, or USD 15.38. Booking ahead is advisable for popular concerts, and tickets can be arranged through the box office or the theatre's website, or by phone on +84 24 3933 0113. Because performance schedules vary from week to week, visitors should check the current programme before planning an evening. The neighbouring Binh Minh Jazz Club offers a natural post-concert drink.