Technical backstage visit to the Teatro Real

The Teatro Real shows every morning the side the public does not see. On the one-hour technical visit you enter the stage box to understand how the floor platforms move and the battens hanging from the grid, how a set is built and assembled, and what it takes to put up and take down a whole opera. The visit also includes the acoustic shell, the structure that transforms the stage for concerts. You take away a very concrete idea of the machinery that supports every performance.

An hour beside the machinery

It starts every day at 10:00 and costs €23, or €18 at the reduced rate for over-65s, under-26s and large families. For safety reasons, only over-10s may go. Inside you follow the staff's instructions at all times: you do not cross the safety line on the floor, you do not lean on the railings and you do not carry bags, rucksacks or pockets with loose items; anything that could fall is left before entering. Taking photos is forbidden. As the theatre is in full season, rehearsals may change the route, and the guide tells you at the start.

Punctuality at Plaza de Isabel II

The theatre is between Plaza de Isabel II and Plaza de Oriente, opposite the Royal Palace. The metro stop is Ópera, on lines 2 and 5 and the branch to Príncipe Pío; Sol (lines 1, 2 and 3) is also close. Arrive ten minutes early: five minutes after the time they no longer let you in and there is no refund. Buy on the theatre's website; tickets are also sold in the foyer on visit days.