Attraction
MASP – Museu de Arte de São Paulo
São Paulo's best-known art museum, raised above Avenida Paulista on Lina Bo Bardi's suspended concrete structure and holding more than 8,000 works from Raphael to Portinari.
Theatro Municipal de São Paulo
An opera house from 1911 modelled on the Palais Garnier, home to the city's symphony orchestra and ballet and the venue of the 1922 Modern Art Week.
At a glance
- Type
- Opera house
- Area
- Centro / Sé, São Paulo, Brazil
- Official site
- theatromunicipal.org.br
Good to know
- Free guided tours
- Tours in English
- Bar
- Restaurant
- Libras visits
Why we recommend it
The Theatro Municipal opened on 12 September 1911 on Morro do Chá in the old centre, on the site of an earlier theatre. The engineer Ramos de Azevedo led the project with the Italian architects Cláudio and Domiziano Rossi, and the result, inspired by the Palais Garnier in Paris, mixes Renaissance, Baroque and Art Nouveau details. Most of the materials were imported from Europe. The opening production was Ambroise Thomas's Hamlet, and over the following century the stage hosted Enrico Caruso, Maria Callas, Arturo Toscanini, Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov.
The building's most famous moment came from 11 to 18 February 1922, when it hosted the Semana de Arte Moderna. Writers, painters and musicians including Mário and Oswald de Andrade, Anita Malfatti, Victor Brecheret, Heitor Villa-Lobos and Di Cavalcanti used the week to challenge European-influenced conventions in painting, poetry and music, a landmark moment for Brazilian modernism. The theatre was restored in the 1980s, when the façade was rebuilt in sandstone from the original quarry, and the work was completed in 1991.
Today the 1,523-seat auditorium is home to the São Paulo Municipal Symphony Orchestra, the Coral Lírico and the Balé da Cidade de São Paulo, with a programme of opera, ballet and concerts listed on the theatre's website. If you cannot get to a performance, the free guided visits are the best way inside. Tours in Portuguese run on Tuesdays and from Wednesday to Friday at set times, with free tickets released on the online platform from 10:00 the day before. Tours in English run on Saturdays at 11:00 and Wednesday to Friday at 13:00, and are booked in person with a passport or ID, for foreign visitors only. There are no tours on public holidays.
The theatre also has two places to eat and drink. The Salão Dourado opens during the day from Tuesday to Sunday, and the Bar dos Arcos opens in the evenings from Tuesday. Behind the theatre, the Praça das Artes complex, opened in 2012, houses the municipal music and dance schools.
The theatre sits in the historic centre, so a tour combines well with the Catedral da Sé, the Mosteiro de São Bento and the Farol Santander on the same day. Check the programme online, as performances are the best way to see the auditorium in use.
Theatro Municipal de São Paulo FAQs
Can you visit the Theatro Municipal without a ticket to a show?
Yes. Free guided visits run on most weekdays, and English-language tours run on Saturdays at 11:00 and Wednesday to Friday at 13:00.
How do I book a tour in English?
English tours are booked in person at the theatre with a passport or identity document and are only for foreign visitors.
How do I book a Portuguese tour?
Free tickets are released on the theatre's online ticket platform from 10:00 on the day before the visit, subject to availability.
Are there tours on public holidays?
No. The theatre does not run guided visits on public holidays.
When did the theatre open?
It opened on 12 September 1911 with Ambroise Thomas's opera Hamlet.
Why is the theatre important?
It hosted the Semana de Arte Moderna in February 1922, the event that launched Brazilian modernism.
Who performs there?
The São Paulo Municipal Symphony Orchestra, the Coral Lírico and the Balé da Cidade de São Paulo are based at the theatre.
Is there a bar or restaurant?
Yes. The Bar dos Arcos opens in the evenings from Tuesday, and the Salão Dourado serves lunch from Tuesday to Sunday.