One of the things people may often forget when arriving at a fabulous destination is a particular city’s theatre culture. When you arrive at Geneva Airport, tour guides can whisk you away to the town center where you can take time to finalize your plans for sightseeing but don’t forget what the evening can bring.
During the day, the city’s history rises all around, and you can spend time roaming the lovely streets and admiring the juxtaposition of old and new construction. However, when the museums close and you have roamed the streets to your heart’s content, it is the ideal time to check out the incredible theatre scene this city parades. Some of the guides may take you directly past some of the iconic theatre venues, so remember where these are and book your tickets to one of the multitudes of shows on one of the thirty stages around the city.
Grand Théâtre de Genève
Also known as the Grand Theatre, the Grand Théâtre de Genève is one of the greatest places to explore if you’re fortunate enough to be visiting at a time when a game is on. The imposing façade, with its pillars of Jura Limestone, is a descendant of a fire hazard and several rebuilds over the years. When you enter the opulent theatre, you may see one of its features because there is a full stage-view from every seat – guaranteeing that no matter where patrons sit, they get the chance to see and hear the performance at its best. Whether you like operatic shows, orchestral events, or the ballet, there is guaranteed to be something for anyone’s taste – but do book your tickets in advance.
The Grand Theatre Stage
The space below the stage where the technical staff works are almost 43 ft (13 meters) deep; mobile stage decks lower sets and turns into this space out of the audience’s sight. The center stage is made up of weighing 17 tonnes (19 short tons; 17 long tons) each, six decks, powered and supported by twelve hydraulic hoists, which can raise the decks, sets, and performers below or above stage level and lower them to 28.4 ft (8.67 meters) below stage level.
The stage also features a self-supporting hydraulically powered back office, which moves forward on two tracks, comprising the space left in the center stage when the decks are lowered. On both sides of the stage, covering a wider area than the primary stage, two floors are equipped with lightweight mobile wagons to move sets onto center stage.
It is located in Boulevard du Théâtre 11, 1211 Genève, Switzerland.
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
If you are moved by the music philosophy and prefer to enjoy a single performance rather than the venue itself, drive to the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande or the Orchestra of French-speaking Switzerland. The orchestra was established in 1918 by Ernest Ansermet, with only forty-eight players and a half year season based in the historic and beautiful Victorian Hall. To start with, most orchestras were from other parts of Europe, but slowly, there came to be more Swiss members. Today, the famous Neeme Järvi leads the orchestra, and it has a full schedule of celebrations planned once COVID-19 dies off.
The OSR (Orchestre de la Suisse Romande) is a Swiss symphony orchestra located in Geneva at the Victoria Hall. In addition to symphony concerts, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande performs as the opera orchestra in productions at the Grand Théâtre de Genève.
Victoria Hall (Geneva)
Victoria Hall is a concert hall situated in downtown Geneva, Switzerland. It was established in 1891–1894 by the architect John Camoletti and funded by the consul of England, Daniel Fitzgerald Packenham Barton, who sanctified it to Queen Victoria and gave it to Geneva. Currently, the hall is used mostly for classical music performances. It is located in Rue du Général-Dufour 14, 1204 Genève, Switzerland.
