Listings for Opera House Manchester

Description

Sister to the Palace theatre on Oxford Street, the Opera House theatre is the other main theatre in Manchester as it also welcomes touring musicals, ballets, concerts, comedians and pantomimes and it is also owned by the Ambassador Theatre Group. For example, Manchester Opera House hosted huge productions and concerts such as the 1958 European premiere of West Side Story, The Phantom of the Opera (1993), Gorillaz Demon Days Live, The Rocky Horror Show, Take That musical, Ghost the Musical, Bat out Of hell, Dolly Parton 9 to 5 and &Juliet. 

Situated on Quay Street, the Opera House is in the very heart of busy Manchester and has been a big part of Manchester’s cultural scene since 1912. The Opera House is a Grade II listed building with its attractive, classical style and ionic columns.  

Opera House Manchester Seating

The Opera House auditorium is relatively big auditorium with a capacity of 1,920 seats and Opera House Manchester ticket prices vary greatly depending on where you choose to sit in the auditorium and your price range.

Opera House Manchester Seating Plan

The Opera House interior is split into three levels; the Stalls, the Circle and Gallery which all offer different views of the auditorium. 

Opera House Manchester Seating

The Stalls

Easily the largest section of the theatre, the Stalls can seat over 800 people. 

The Circle

the level about the stalls, the Circle seats over 500 people and provides incredible, panoramic views of the stage. The raked seating means that your views of the stage are not very restricted.  

The Gallery 

as the highest level in the theatre, the Gallery is furthest from the stage and seats over 500 people. 

Seats with best visibility 

Given that the Opera House Manchester has raked seating, views of the stage are generally extremely clear but there are seats with varied visibility and obstructions if you choose to sit further back in the auditorium. 

• Premium tickets: If you are looking for premium seats, then these can be found in the mid-centre of the Stalls, which offer excellent restricted views of the stage. High quality seats can be found in the mid-front of the Circle where seats are fairly expensive. 
• Good Value for Money tickets: If you are looking for good value seats, then these are situated at the rear of the stage and viewing is not very obstructed. 
• Discounted tickets: If you are looking for discounted tickets, then the Gallery is the place to look since some seats in the section have restricted viewing and are much cheaper. 

Opera House Manchester Contact and Opening times

 Contact Numbers 

• Telephone Booking*: 0844 871 3018 
• Group Bookings**: 0333 009 5390 
• Access Bookings: 0800 912 6971 
• Stage Door/Admin: 0161 828 1700 

 The Opera House Manchester is only open on performance days and it opens its doors 90 minutes before the performance. The Box office closes 15 minutes after the last performance. 

 

 

Useful Information

Getting there  

The Opera House is situated in the heart of Manchester on quay Street. It is therefore very easy to access the theatre by both public transport and by car. The Opera House Manchester address is: 

3 Quay St 

Manchester  

M3 3HP 

UK 

• Train: if you decide to travel by train, then the closest train station to the Opera House is Deansgate Train Station which is a 1- minute walk. Oxford Road Station also only a 15 minute walk and Piccadilly Train Station which is a 22 minute walk away and therefore a bit further away. These train stations have national rail services from most major UK cities.  
• Tram: the nearest tram stop to the Opera House is St Peter's Square, which is a 7 minute walk away. 
• Bus: if you are travelling by bus to the Opera House, the you can take most buses from the city centre as the theatre is close to all of the major bus routes as it is situated on Quay Street.  
• Car: with regards to Opera House Manchester parking, the closest car parks are Spinningfields, New Quay Street (M3 3BE) and the Great Northern Warehouse 1 (M3 4EE). 

Access  

If you have any access enquiries or special requirements prior to your visit, then please call the access line on 0800 912 6971. The Typetalk Number is  18001 0844 871 7677. The Opera House theatre also has an access champion, Abigail Henry, who can be contacted by email at abigailhenry@theambassadors.com.  

For most Opera House shows, the theatre holds BSL, Audio Described and Captioned performances. Please contact Abigail Henry for further information on these. There are also discounted tickets available for access patrons and one companion.  

Getting there  

Situated on Quay Street, the Opera House has step-free access to the main foyer and to the box office. You can also use the alternative entrance at the side of the theatre which has level access to the wheelchair spaces.  

Inside the theatre  

The Gallery and the Stalls are much harder to reach for customers with limited mobility since there is no customer lift. The Stalls are 23 steps down from foyer and Gallery is 81 steps up from the main foyer.  

Opera House Manchester History

The Opera House Manchester theatre has undergone several name and ownership changes. When it opened in 1912 on Boxing Day, it was first named the New Theatre and was then renamed the New Queen’s Theatre in 1920. It was not until 1920 that it received its current name, the Opera House, when John Hart and his associates of United Theatres Ltd took it over. It then changed hands again in 1931, when Howard & Whyndham bought it and then premiered several musicals. In 1979, the Opera House closed for five years to become a popular bingo hall. However, in 1984, it reopened again as a theatre by the Palace Trust. Since 1990 it has been owned by the Ambassador Theatre group, along with its sister theatre the Palace theatre, and has been successfully hosting musicals, plays and comedy acts.  

Photos of Opera House Manchester

Featured videos

Manchester opera House Theatre Tour (August 2016)