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Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow

The Bolshoi Theatre at night: floodlit columned facade with the Apollo quadriga above the portico
Photo: DmitriyGuryanov, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
Tickets on bolshoi.ru, price varies by show
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Hours
Performances most days, start times on the playbill; box offices usually 11:00–20:00
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
2 h
With kids
Better without small kids
Address
Teatralnaya Square 1 (Historic Stage); New Stage at Bolshaya Dmitrovka 4/2
Coordinates
55.76028, 37.61861YesGo MapGoogleAppleYandex
Where to buy
Only bolshoi.ru and the theatre’s own box offices; the theatre doesn’t honour third-party tickets
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Named tickets
Since 1 Oct 2024 every ticket carries the holder’s passport details; bring the same passport
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Price
Varies by show, stage, date and seat; the seat map shows the exact price
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Sales open
Usually about 3 months ahead, on a date the theatre announces
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Payment
Russian bank cards or roubles in cash at the box office; Visa and Mastercard issued abroad don’t work in Russia
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Box offices
Administrative Building (Teatralnaya Sq. 2), Historic and New Stages — roughly 11:00–20:00, stage desks take breaks
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Children
From 5–6 for daytime shows, from 10 for evening shows, unless a show has its own age rating
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Building tour
Run by the theatre on mornings without rehearsals, in Russian and English; schedule on the official site
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Metro
Teatralnaya, Okhotny Ryad, Ploshchad Revolyutsii — 2–5 min on foot

Key facts

1776founded on 28 March, when Catherine II licensed Prince Pyotr Urusov to run a theatre in Moscow
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia, “Bolshoi Theatre”
1,740 seatsin the Historic Stage auditorium after the renovation
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia, “Bolshoi Theatre”
28 Oct 2011the Historic Stage reopened after the 2005–2011 renovation
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia, “Bolshoi Theatre”
1825the present building by Joseph Bové opened on Teatralnaya Square
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia, “Bolshoi Theatre”
1853 → 1856a fire left only the walls and portico; Alberto Cavos rebuilt the theatre by 1856
2 sourcesRussian Wikipedia, “Bolshoi Theatre”English Wikipedia
Peter Clodtsculptor of the bronze Apollo quadriga above the portico
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia, “Bolshoi Theatre”
2002the New Stage opened on 29 November
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia, “Bolshoi Theatre”
1877Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake had its first production here
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia, “Bolshoi Theatre”
1921the Beethoven Hall, a concert hall inside the building, opened
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia, “Bolshoi Theatre”
100 ₽the facade and quadriga appear on the 1997-series 100-rouble banknote
2 sourcesBank of Russia, 1997-series 100-rouble noteEnglish Wikipedia

How to buy Bolshoi Theatre tickets

Use the official site, bolshoi.ru, or the theatre’s own box offices — nowhere else. Online you open an account, pick a seat on the map and enter the passport details of every person in your party; they are printed on the ticket. Bring the same passport on the night.

Sales usually open about three months ahead, on a date the theatre announces. The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and big premieres sell out in minutes, and for those the theatre sometimes changes the rules — online-only sales, a cap per buyer. Check the show’s page a day before sales open.

The catch for foreign visitors: Visa and Mastercard cards issued abroad don’t work in Russia (since March 2022), so online payment needs a Russian card. Otherwise buy in person at a box office — the Administrative Building at Teatralnaya Square 2, or the Historic and New Stages — with roubles and your passport.

How much are Bolshoi tickets?

There’s no single price. It depends on the show, the stage, the date and the seat: a popular ballet in the stalls or a front box on the Historic Stage costs the most, while opera, concerts and New Stage shows cost noticeably less. The seat map shows the exact price before you pay.

To spend less without missing the point: choose the New Stage, choose opera over ballet, or sit in the upper tiers of the Historic Stage. If a reseller asks several times the price on bolshoi.ru, walk away — with named tickets it’s a gamble as well as a rip-off.

Historic Stage vs New Stage vs a building tour

Historic Stageyou are hereTeatralnaya Square 11,740 seats, gold and red velvet, boxes and tiersClassic ballet and grand operaHighest2–3.5 h
New StageBolshaya Dmitrovka 4/2, next doorAbout 900 seats, modern hallOpera, ballet, guest companiesUsually much lower2–3 h
Building tourHistoric StageAuditorium and foyers without a show—Cheaper than a showAbout 1 h

If it’s your one visit and you want the famous auditorium, book the Historic Stage — a New Stage ticket doesn’t get you into the main building. If the performance and the budget matter more, the New Stage has the same company and orchestra.

Is the Bolshoi Theatre worth it?

Yes, if you get a real ticket. A night on the Historic Stage is one of the best evenings Moscow offers a visitor — you don’t need to know ballet to enjoy the house itself, the orchestra and a company of over 200 dancers.

It isn’t worth chasing a resold ticket at three times the price, or sitting at the back of a side box where you see half the stage. In that case take the New Stage or the building tour. And with no ticket at all, five minutes at the floodlit facade on your way from Red Square to Tverskaya Street is still worth the detour.

What to see inside

  • The Historic Stage auditorium — a horseshoe of red velvet and gilt boxes rising to the ceiling, the reason to book this stage.
  • The Tsar’s Box facing the stage — best seen from the stalls or the tiers.
  • The ceremonial foyers — walk the circle-level foyer in the first interval before you queue for the buffet.
  • The Beethoven Hall — the concert hall inside the building, reached at concerts and on some tours.
  • The Apollo quadriga on the portico — best from the middle of Teatralnaya Square after dark.
  • The fountain square in front — the classic full-facade photo.

A short history

The Bolshoi dates its founding to 1776, when Catherine II licensed Prince Pyotr Urusov to stage plays in Moscow; it marked 250 years in 2026. Joseph Bové’s building on Teatralnaya Square opened in 1825.

A fire in 1853 left only the walls and portico. Alberto Cavos rebuilt the theatre by 1856, adding Peter Clodt’s bronze quadriga. Swan Lake had its first production here in 1877. The New Stage opened in 2002, carrying the repertoire while the main house was renovated from 2005 until its reopening on 28 October 2011.

Bolshoi Theatre tour

No luck with tickets? A tour of the Historic Stage shows the auditorium, foyers and the story of the building in about an hour. The theatre runs its own tours, in Russian and English, on mornings with no rehearsal; days, times and prices change by season, so check the tours page on bolshoi.ru first. Tours pause during the summer break.

Private guides also sell Bolshoi walks around Teatralnaya Square — ask before paying whether the tour actually goes inside.

How to get to the Bolshoi Theatre

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On foot

More tips

  1. Metro Teatralnaya (Line 2, green) — exits onto Teatralnaya Square, 1–2 minutes from the facade.
  2. Or Okhotny Ryad (Line 1, red), about 3 minutes, and Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Line 3, dark blue), about 5 minutes.
  3. From Red Square, leave through the Resurrection Gate and walk past Manezhnaya Square along Okhotny Ryad to Teatralnaya Square — 7–10 minutes.
  4. From Kitay-Gorod, follow Nikolskaya Street to Teatralny Proezd — about 10 minutes.
  5. The New Stage is round the corner at Bolshaya Dmitrovka 4/2, 2–3 minutes from the main facade. Check which stage is on your ticket and go straight there.
  6. Skip the car: central Moscow has paid parking and closures, and the metro is faster after the show.

Before the show: checklist

Ready: 0 of 7

Tick what is ready — your ticks stay in this browser.

Moscow’s historic sights compared

Every historic place in Moscow rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Red Square7930 minFree12 min walk
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St Basil's Cathedral6545 min2,000 ₽ for foreign visitors16 min walk
Moscow Kremlin642 h 30 minfrom 1,100 ₽17 min walk
Kitay-gorod581 hFree10 min walk
Bolshoi Theatreyou are here562 hTickets on bolshoi.ru, price varies by show—
Patriarch's Ponds5330 minFree30 min walk
Arbat Street501 hFree37 min walk
State Historical Museum491 h 30 min2,000 ₽ for foreign visitors10 min walk
Tretyakov Gallery492 h 30 min700 ₽36 min walk
Tverskaya Street4845 minFree15 min walk
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Kuskovo Estate291 h 30 minPark 100 ₽, palace 500 ₽12.1 km
Tsaritsyno262 hPark free, palace 900 ₽16.6 km

The centre by day, the Bolshoi by night

Walk Nikolskaya Street in Kitay-Gorod, cross Red Square, see a show at the Bolshoi and stroll Tverskaya afterwards. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

  1. Kitay-gorod1 h · Free
  2. 5 min walk from the previous stopRed Square30 min · Free
  3. 12 min walk from the previous stopBolshoi Theatreyou are here2 h · Tickets on bolshoi.ru, price varies by show
  4. 15 min walk from the previous stopTverskaya Street45 min · Free

4 places · about 4 h 47 min with walks · 32 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby — add to your day

State Historical Museum

Moscow, Russia

1 h 30 min · 2,000 ₽ for foreign visitors · 10 min walk

Kitay-gorod

Moscow, Russia

1 h · Free · 10 min walk

Red Square

Moscow, Russia

30 min · Free · 12 min walk

Lenin's Mausoleum

Moscow, Russia

20 min · Free · 13 min walk

How to do it right

  • Check the stage before the date: the playbill mixes Historic and New Stage shows, and they’re different buildings.
  • For the famous auditorium, an upper-tier seat on the Historic Stage beats a stalls seat on the New Stage.
  • Spend the first interval in the foyers and buy your drink in the second — the buffet queue is shorter.
  • After the show, skip the taxi scrum: Teatralnaya metro is two minutes away and Tverskaya Street starts across the road.
  • Pair it with a day in Kitay-Gorod and on Red Square — all within a 10-minute walk.
  • No ticket? The building tour shows the auditorium in an hour for less.

Questions

What is the official Bolshoi Theatre website?

bolshoi.ru. Only the site and the theatre’s own box offices sell genuine named tickets; lookalike sites are resellers.

Can foreigners buy Bolshoi tickets?

Yes. Enter your passport details when you buy and bring the same passport. Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards don’t work in Russia, so pay online with a Russian card or at a box office in roubles.

How much do Bolshoi tickets cost?

It depends on the show, stage, date and seat. Ballet in the stalls on the Historic Stage costs the most; opera and the New Stage cost less. The seat map shows the exact price.

Do I need my passport at the Bolshoi?

Yes. Since October 2024 all tickets are named, and staff check that your ID matches the ticket.

Is there a dress code at the Bolshoi?

No formal one, but smart casual is expected. Shorts, flip-flops and sportswear can get you turned away.

What is the difference between the Historic Stage and the New Stage?

The Historic Stage is the 1825 main building with the gilded 1,740-seat auditorium. The New Stage is a modern hall of about 900 seats next door at Bolshaya Dmitrovka 4/2. Same company; New Stage tickets are usually cheaper.

Can you tour the Bolshoi Theatre?

Yes. The theatre runs tours of the Historic Stage, including in English, on mornings without rehearsals — about an hour. Check the current schedule on bolshoi.ru.

Which metro station is closest to the Bolshoi?

Teatralnaya (Line 2) exits onto Teatralnaya Square. Okhotny Ryad and Ploshchad Revolyutsii are a few minutes’ walk.

How old do children have to be?

From 5–6 for daytime shows and from 10 for evening shows, unless the show has a higher age rating. Each child needs a ticket.

When was the Bolshoi Theatre built?

The company dates from 1776; the present building by Joseph Bové opened in 1825 and was rebuilt by Alberto Cavos after an 1853 fire, reopening in 1856.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • English and Russian Wikipedia: Bolshoi Theatre; Wikidata Q138908
  • Reports on the switch to named tickets from 1 October 2024, citing the theatre: RTVI, Snob, Moskvich Mag, 2024
  • Vbr.ru on Nutcracker ticket sales rules, 2 December 2025
  • Russiable guide: box offices, tours, dress code, children, 2024
  • Bank of Russia: 1997-series 100-rouble banknote
  • Visa and Mastercard statements on suspending operations in Russia, March 2022
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 29.10.2026 ·
How we checkedThe official site bolshoi.ru refused our automated check on 29.10.2026 (its bot protection returned 401), so ticket rules, box office hours, payment, children’s ages and tours are taken from news reports citing the theatre and from travel guides, and marked “verifying”. We give no prices: the theatre sets them per show and per seat. Sources differ on the minimum age for daytime shows (5 or 6), so we show both. Wikipedia gives the New Stage 879 seats while guides say about 900; we say about 900. Dates of founding, building, fire, renovation and the New Stage agree across English and Russian Wikipedia. Walking times are our estimate from the map.

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