Vienna Travel Forum

Any feedback on a dress code for men at the opera house. I tend to travel pretty light when I am on the road, and the best that I would scrounge up for dress clothes when backpacking would be a good pair of jeans and a good golf shirt or possible dress shirt. Anyone aware of a dress code for the opera??

See nemorino's pages on Vienna - he is the VT Opera Expert.

Correct formal dress would be jacket, shirt and tie with 'good' pants (no jeans), if not a suit. Shirt and tie without jacket is acceptable if the temperature exceeds, say, 30°C.
However, there are always some 'rebels' around who don't dress up like that and you won't be kicked out if you don't. As a backpacker you cannot carry a full set of formal clothes. You probably won't buy the most expensive tickets either. Wear the best you have, freshly laundered please, shoes polished (a handkerchief with spit does the trick), shirt ironed or at least not too crumpled...

Be ready to get looks.

Thanks for the tip. I don't usually bring a formal coat when backpacking. And I'm used to strange looks. I was planning on standing in the cheapies anyways so maybe I won't be the only ner-do-well.

Hi Lurchizo,

I was just there last week. Like you I didn't want to bring a suit coat so I simply wore a dress shirt with Khaki cargo pants. Although there were some dressed up I was by far not alone in my casual dress, in fact there were a few jeans and tshirt people there. I did not notice any unusual looks. I think a lot of the audience was tourist like myself and most did not bring formal wear with them.

Jim

We were there 2 months ago and my husband wore T-shirt and jeans and did not get any looks.I was even wearing my walking shoes!Like the previous poster said,there are a lot of tourists around and most dont carry suits with them.I think the only thing is you have to be clean and wear shoes.Even we went in for the 4 euro standing tickets.There were a lot of dressed up ppl in the regular seats

Happy Travels
Harsha

I guess things have changed since I was there.

my husband went to the opera in vienna about 2 years ago - he was very aware that in his dark pants and shirt and tie and sports jacket he would be dressed very down market

but he got no looks - and had four tourists sitting behind him in chinos and wind breakers - and they got no looks either - or if they did it didn't bother them

he thought the singing was wonderful - but the direction and set etc was very old hat and stuffy

you really dont have to worry about a dresscode for the Staatsoper ! They are used to tourists.

We do not think there is one. We have been there several times in different dress. As long ago as 1978 we walked in at the end of a long day and bought the two back seats in a lower level box. We were in jeans and no jackets. In the front row of the box were a banker, wife and daughter dressed to the nines with beaded purses and jewelry, They even talked to us. We were served (for the usual price) champagne at the bar at intermission. Of course if you want to go across the street afterwards for a Sacher Torte, you had better be dressed correctly (recommended).

Thanks Harsha. How did you liek the standing tickets? I figured that would be the way to go. Any worry about being sold out or do you recommend how long before curtain to go get your tickets.

Thanks to all. That puts me at ease.

The standing tickets were awesome!there are 2 kinds - one is the upper balcony for 3 euros and the other is the one right in front of the stage(behind the seats) for 4 euros.We bought the 4 euro ones and somehow got the front row and the view was excellent.These tickets are available even when the show is sold out.The counter opens 90 mins before the show starts.We went for Giselle (ballet) and reached 10 mins before the counter opened and still there were 5-6 ppl ahead of us with their folding chairs and newspapers:)This was in Feb (low season) if you are going during peak tourist season,there could be a longer queue.

For more details check this link
http://www.staatsoper.at/Content.Node2/home/kartenverkauf/7573.php