Staatstheater Stuttgart

About this place

The Wuerttemberg State Theatres form the largest three-branch theatre in the world, with opera, ballet and drama under a single management, and they are the biggest cultural institution in Baden-Wuerttemberg. The opera house itself, known as the Littmann building after the architect Max Littmann who completed it in 1912, stands on the Eckensee at the edge of the upper palace garden. It is one of the few large Stuttgart buildings to come through the war largely intact, which is why the auditorium still has its original form. The reason many people travel for it, though, is the ballet company: John Cranko rebuilt it in the 1960s into one of the leading companies in the world, and his Onegin and Romeo and Juliet are still danced in opera houses on every continent. The opera itself has repeatedly been voted German opera house of the year. In practice there is no general admission here; you come for a performance. Prices begin at around ten euros in the upper seats and pass a hundred in the front rows, booking opens months ahead, and famous ballet nights sell out. The house faces a long full renovation during which the company will move to a temporary opera at the Wagenhallen site, but through the 2026 and 2027 season performances are still in the Littmann building, so check the schedule before booking far ahead.