Opéra de Monte-Carlo

The Opera de Monaco, also known as the Salle Garnier of the Casino de Monte-Carlo, is the opera house of the principality of Monaco. Charles Garnier, architect of the Paris Palais Garnier, designed it as an integral stage wing of the existing casino, and the venue opened in 1879. Inside lies an opulent red-and-gold auditorium with rich stucco, frescoes and sculpture in his signature neo-mannerist style. Sarah Bernhardt inaugurated the house with a hymn to Monaco, and from 1911 Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes turned it into one of the most influential stages in ballet history. The venue programmes opera, ballet and concerts in season; daytime tours run when there is no performance.