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Navoi Theatre, Tashkent

The arched sandstone facade of the Navoi Theatre in Tashkent behind a large fountain with a bronze cotton boll in the centre
Photo: Bgag, CC0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
Shows from 77,000 som
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Hours
Shows usually at 19:00, children's shows around midday; no shows on Mondays (unofficial). Facade and fountain — any time
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
20 min
With kids
Fine with kids
Outside
Free: facade, fountain and the memorial plaque
Show tickets
Usually 77,000–220,000 som; festivals and premieres cost more
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Where to buy
iTicket website or app, iTicket sales points, or the theatre box office
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Cards
iTicket says it takes Visa and Mastercard with 3D Secure and sells to buyers abroad
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Box office
11:00–19:00, unofficial
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Start times
Evenings usually 19:00, sometimes 18:00; children's shows around 12:00
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Day off
Monday — no performances
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Address
28 Zarafshon Street, Tashkent
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Coordinates
41.30917, 69.27167YesGo MapGoogleApple
Metro
Mustaqillik Maydoni, about 7 minutes on foot
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.

Key facts

1947opened in November for the 500th anniversary of the poet Alisher Navoi
2 sourcesEnglish WikipediaOrexca
6 foyerseach decorated in the style of a region: Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, Termez, Fergana
2 sourcesRussian WikipediaOrexca
1,400–1,440seats in the stalls and two tiers — the sources disagree
2 sourcesEnglish Wikipedia — 1,400Russian Wikipedia and Uzbekistan Travel — 1,440
Alexey Shchusevthe architect, who also came up with the fountain in front
3 sourcesRussian WikipediaOrexcaEnglish Wikipedia
1945Japanese prisoners of war arrived in Tashkent in November and worked on the final stage of building
3 sourcesRussian WikipediaOrexcaEnglish Wikipedia
1996a plaque about the Japanese builders was put up on the theatre wall
2 sourcesEnglish WikipediaRussian Wikipedia
1959the theatre became an Academic theatre
3 sourcesEnglish WikipediaRussian WikipediaVisit Tashkent
1966it was given Bolshoi (Grand) status
2 sourcesEnglish WikipediaRussian Wikipedia
2012–2015the building was reconstructed while the company played elsewhere
2 sourcesRussian WikipediaVisit Tashkent
1929the company began as the Uzbek musical theatre of Mukhiddin Kari-Yakubov
2 sourcesVisit TashkentEnglish Wikipedia
Ganchcarved plaster in the foyers, by masters from different regions; the Bukhara hall is by Shirin Muradov
2 sourcesRussian WikipediaOrexca
Chingiz Akhmarovpainted the large murals in the foyers
2 sourcesRussian WikipediaOrexca

Navoi Theatre tickets and prices

For regular performances tickets cost 77,000–220,000 som — these are iTicket prices for upcoming shows, so treat them as unofficial. Premieres and festival nights can run from 100,000 to 800,000 som. The cheap seats are high up in the tiers: you see the whole stage but hear the orchestra less well.

The easiest way to buy is iTicket, the city's main ticket platform, on its website or app. The e-ticket goes to your email and you show it on your phone. iTicket says it accepts Visa and Mastercard with 3D Secure and sells to buyers outside Uzbekistan. For cash, use an iTicket sales point or the theatre box office, unofficially open 11:00–19:00.

Around town, local Humo and Uzcard cards work everywhere; foreign Visa and Mastercard are taken in many places but not all, and Russian-issued cards don't work. Carry some som in cash for the cloakroom, the buffet and taxis.

What's on and when

The repertoire is opera and ballet: classics like Giselle and Swan Lake, Uzbek operas and ballets, contemporary choreography and fairy-tale shows for children. Evening performances usually start at 19:00, sometimes 18:00, and children's shows run around midday. There are no performances on Mondays.

When we checked, the theatre's own website wasn't showing a schedule, so use iTicket or Afisha.uz for listings and booking. Each production may only play once or twice a month, so check the dates before you plan your evenings. Spring brings international opera and ballet festivals with visiting companies.

Is it worth it?

Yes, if a ballet is on during your stay. It is the best-decorated interior in Tashkent you can sit in for an evening, the tickets are cheap by European standards, and dance needs no translation. Opera is a gamble if you don't follow Uzbek, Russian or Italian, as surtitles aren't guaranteed.

If nothing suits your dates, a 20-minute stop at the facade and fountain on your way between Amir Timur Square and Independence Square is still worthwhile — the fountain is lit after dark.

What is the Navoi Theatre?

The company grew out of the Uzbek musical theatre that Mukhiddin Kari-Yakubov founded in 1929 and became an opera and ballet theatre in 1939. Its building, designed by Alexey Shchusev, was built through the war years and opened in November 1947 for the 500th anniversary of the poet Alisher Navoi, whose name it has carried since 1948.

Shchusev wrapped a European opera house in Uzbek craft: sandstone arches and loggias outside, carved ganch plaster, marble and murals inside. It became an Academic theatre in 1959 and a Bolshoi (Grand) theatre in 1966, and was reconstructed in 2012–2015.

What to see

  • The facade with its arches and loggia — best seen from the square by the fountain.
  • The fountain, Shchusev's own idea, modelled on the traditional Uzbek pool (hauz), with a bronze cotton boll in the middle.
  • The plaque to the Japanese builders on the theatre wall.
  • Six side foyers named after Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, Termez and Fergana, each carved in that region's style.
  • The Bukhara hall — Shirin Muradov's ganch carving over a mirrored base, the most ornate room in the building.
  • Chingiz Akhmarov's murals in the foyers; the ground-floor foyer shows four muses.
  • The auditorium, with stalls and two tiers for 1,400–1,440 people.

Is there a dress code?

The theatre doesn't publish an official dress code, but locals dress up for the opera. Smart casual is safe: trousers or a dress, a shirt, closed shoes. Leave the sportswear, shorts and flip-flops at the hotel — some guides even say jeans may be turned away, though that's unofficial.

No photos or video during the performance, and never with flash. Take your pictures of the foyers and facade before the show and in the interval. With children, follow the age rating on each show: daytime fairy tales are usually 3+, evening ballets 12+.

How to get to the Navoi Theatre

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On foot

More tips

  1. Start at Amir Timur Square, by the exit of Amir Temur Xiyoboni metro station.
  2. On foot: walk west along Sayilgoh Street, the pedestrian street locals call Broadway — about 8 minutes.
  3. At the end of Sayilgoh, near Independence Square (Mustaqillik Maydoni), turn left and head south; in 5–7 minutes the theatre appears behind its fountain. 12–15 minutes in total.
  4. By metro: one stop on the Chilanzar line to Mustaqillik Maydoni, then 7 minutes south on foot. Pay with a QR ticket from the ticket office, an ATTO card or a contactless bank card at the gate — foreign cards don't always work.
  5. After the show, book a taxi in the Yandex Go app — the fare is fixed in advance.

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Navoi Theatre, Romanov Palace or Applied Arts Museum

Navoi Theatreyou are here1947 opera houseOnly with a showEvening20 min outside, about 3 h with a showIn six foyers
Romanov Palace19th-century Grand Duke's mansionNo, outside onlyDaytime, in passing10–15 min—
Applied Arts MuseumCarved house with a crafts collectionWith a museum ticketDaytimeAbout 1 hIn the museum rooms

Want to see Uzbek carving in the daytime? Go to the Applied Arts Museum. The Navoi Theatre is worth an evening when a ballet or opera you like is on.

Tashkent history: compare and choose

Historic places in Tashkent rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Tashkent Metro501 h2,500 som by card, 3,000 cash12 min walk
Navoi Theatreyou are here4420 minShows from 77,000 som—
Romanov Palace4415 minFree10 min walk
Hazrati Imam Complex4345 minFree4.1 km
Chorsu Bazaar391 hFree3.6 km
State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan361 h 30 minClosed for reconstruction15 min walk
Museum of Applied Arts361 h≈ UZS 30,000–40,000, unofficial24 min walk

Central Tashkent: a day and a night at the ballet

A museum and the Romanov mansion by day, a show in the evening, then the lights of Tashkent City. Add it to your route in one tap — YesGo sorts out the timing and the walks.

  1. State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan1 h 30 min · Closed for reconstruction
  2. 25 min walk from the previous stopRomanov Palace15 min · Free, outside only
  3. 10 min walk from the previous stopNavoi Theatreyou are here20 min · Shows from 77,000 som
  4. 38 min walk from the previous stopTashkent City Park1 h · Free

4 places · about 4 h 18 min with walks · 73 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby and on your route

Romanov Palace

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

15 min · Free, outside only · 10 min walk

Tashkent Metro

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

1 h · 2,500 som by card, 3,000 cash · 12 min walk

Museum of Applied Arts

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

1 h · ≈ UZS 30,000–40,000, unofficial · 24 min walk

How to do it right

  • Walk past in the evening even without a ticket: the fountain out front is lit up.
  • Pick a ballet over an opera if you don't speak the language — dance needs no surtitles.
  • Choose the stalls or first tier; the top tiers see everything but sound thinner.
  • Arrive 30–40 minutes early — six foyers on three floors take time.
  • By day, pair the walk with the State Museum of Arts and the Romanov Palace — all in the centre.
  • After the show, carry on to Tashkent City Park, which stays busy late.

Questions

How much are Navoi Theatre tickets?

For regular shows, 77,000–220,000 som on iTicket; premieres and festivals can reach 800,000. These are unofficial figures — the price depends on the show and the tier.

How do I buy tickets as a foreigner?

Online on iTicket, the website or app. It says it takes Visa and Mastercard with 3D Secure and sells to buyers abroad; the e-ticket is shown on your phone. For cash, use an iTicket point or the box office.

Can you visit the Navoi Theatre without a show?

We found no regular building tours, so the interior is for ticket holders. The facade, the fountain and the Japanese builders' plaque are free to see at any time.

What time do performances start?

Evening shows usually at 19:00, sometimes 18:00; children's shows around 12:00. There are no performances on Mondays. Check the exact time on the listing.

Is there a dress code at the Navoi Theatre?

No official one, but locals dress up. Go smart casual and skip sportswear, shorts and flip-flops.

Did Japanese prisoners build the Navoi Theatre?

Partly. Japanese prisoners of war worked on the final stage of construction in 1945–1947, and a plaque from 1996 on the theatre wall remembers them.

How do I get to the Navoi Theatre?

From Amir Timur Square it's a 12–15 minute walk west along Sayilgoh Street, then south. By metro, ride to Mustaqillik Maydoni and walk 7 minutes.

Is the Navoi Theatre worth it?

Yes, if a ballet is on while you're in town — the interior is the finest in Tashkent and tickets are cheap. Otherwise give the facade 20 minutes on a walk.

Can I take children?

Yes: daytime fairy-tale ballets are rated 3+. Evening ballets are usually 12+.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • Wikipedia: Navoi Theater (English) and the Russian article on the theatre
  • Wikidata: Q3354568
  • Orexca: Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Alisher Navoi
  • Visit Tashkent: Alisher Navoi Theatre
  • Uzbekistan Travel (National PR Centre): Grand Theatre named after Alisher Navoi
  • Afisha.uz: Navoi Theatre listings 2025–2026 and venue page
  • iTicket.uz: Navoi Theatre performance pages and FAQ
  • Sputnik8: Navoi Theatre visitor information
  • OpenStreetMap: metro stations and streets around the theatre
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 30.10.2026 ·
How we checkedThe theatre's own website was down when we checked (a hosting placeholder), so prices, box office hours, start times and the Monday closure are marked “checking”. Prices come from iTicket performance pages (77,000–220,000 som) and Afisha.uz listings; the festival top price is from Afisha.uz, 2025. Box office hours are from Afisha.uz; Sputnik8 says there is no box office, which contradicts Afisha, iTicket and listings, so we kept it. Monday off: Orexca and Sputnik8. Capacity: 1,400 in English Wikipedia, 1,440 in Russian Wikipedia and Uzbekistan Travel. The address is 28 Zarafshon Street per Wikipedia, Afisha.uz and Visit Tashkent; other directories label the same spot as Ataturk or Bukhara Street. Card payment for iTicket is from its own FAQ. Walking times are from OpenStreetMap coordinates.

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