Opera and Ballet in Istanbul: AKM and Süreyya

For opera and ballet in Istanbul, an evening can start on the ferry to Kadıköy and end inside the Süreyya Opera House, a 1927 theater on Bahariye Street. On the European side, the sphere of the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM), covered in 15,000 ceramic pieces, faces Taksim Square, and its great hall seats 2,040 people. Both are stages of the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet, and in June the Istanbul Music Festival adds concerts across the city.

Where can you see opera and ballet in Istanbul?

You can see opera and ballet in Istanbul on three main stages of the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet. These are the Türk Telekom Opera Hall and the Theater Hall at the AKM, and the Süreyya Opera House in Kadıköy. Beyond the Istanbul company, the AKM also hosts other state companies from around Turkey, as well as joint and visiting productions. So we check the programs of both venues for your dates.

What is the Atatürk Cultural Center like?

The Atatürk Cultural Center is Istanbul’s largest stage for opera and ballet, and it faces Taksim Square. The new building opened on October 29, 2021. Its opera hall forms a giant sphere on the front, covered in 15,000 ceramic pieces. Inside, the horseshoe-shaped hall seats 2,040 people on the stalls and two balconies, and its pit holds an orchestra of 85.

The story of the building goes back much further. In the late 1930s, the city plan by Henri Prost proposed an opera house on Taksim Square. Later, the first building opened in 1969 as the Istanbul Palace of Culture. After a fire in 1970, it reopened in 1978 as the Atatürk Cultural Center. Today, the AKM also has a 781-seat theater, a gallery, an art library and restaurants.

What is the Süreyya Opera House?

The Süreyya Opera House is a historic theater on Bahariye Street in Kadıköy, on the Asian side. It opened on March 6, 1927, as the first musical theater on the Anatolian side of Istanbul. Süreyya İlmen Paşa had it built after seeing the theaters of Europe, and the architect was Kegham Kavafyan. For decades, however, it served mostly as a cinema. After a restoration, it reopened as an opera house on December 14, 2007. Because it is smaller than the AKM, it makes a more intimate evening, and the ferry to Kadıköy makes the trip part of the night.

How do you find opera and ballet in Istanbul for your dates?

To find opera and ballet in Istanbul for your dates, we read the State Opera and Ballet program by city and stage. In early summer, the city adds its big music festivals. The Istanbul Music Festival, for example, takes place in June, and the Istanbul Jazz Festival follows from the end of June into July. For festival tickets, read our guide to Istanbul festival tickets.

How do you buy tickets for opera and ballet in Istanbul?

We book your seats for opera and ballet in Istanbul; tickets sell through the State Opera and Ballet program and the AKM website. So tell us as soon as you know your dates. We read the current program of the AKM for you. For other evenings out, see live music in Istanbul and Ottoman classical music in Istanbul.

Would you like an evening at the opera with dinner before the curtain and a driver after it? Let us know your evenings in Istanbul, and we will check the program and plan the night. For another night out, our Istanbul fasıl night pairs meze (small dishes shared at the start of a meal) with live Turkish music. Or read whether a Bosphorus dinner cruise is worth it for your evening.

For a different stage, our whirling dervish ceremony brings you to the sema (the whirling ceremony of the Mevlevi dervishes) at the Galata Mevlevi Lodge after a walk through Galata. Book it for any evening of your stay, and we plan dinner and the drive back around the ceremony.