The Paris Opera is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Palais Garnier this year with a new virtual reality experience, “La Magie Opéra.”

The immersive, multi-user, geolocated experience puts visitors into dreamlike scenes inspired by legendary operas, as well as the Palais Garnier’s emblematic venues. “La Magie Opéra” will also offer visitors tableaux inspired by such major works of the operatic repertoire as Dvořák’s “Rusalka,” Puccini’s “Tosca,” and Bizet’s “Carmen.”

Visitors will rediscover the “Song to the Moon” from “Rusalka,” performed by Renée Fleming; “Vissi d’arte” from “Tosca” by Martina Serafin; and the “Habanera” from “Carmen” by Elīna Garanča.

In a statement, Alexander Neef, General Director of the Paris Opera said, “Opera has always been a pioneering art form, constantly exploring new ways of creating and reaching out to audiences. With La Magie Opéra, we are celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Palais Garnier by embracing virtual reality. This immersive collaboration with Backlight and VIVE Arts invites the public to discover the magic of opera through a few emblematic arias in a new way. This experience bears witness to an artistic discipline that is constantly evolving, while at the same time being heir to a rich and living tradition.”

The experience is open through August 31, 2025 at the Bibliothèque-musée de l’Opéra in the Palais Garnier. “La Magie Opéra” is a production by BackLight, the Paris-based production studio at the cutting edge of virtual reality, in co-production with the Paris Opera.

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