Aesthetics and Massacre

Valencia's opera house is not in the old town. The Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía stands at the city end of the City of Arts and Sciences, on the edge of the drained Turia riverbed, roughly three kilometres from the cathedral. Plan the journey as part of the evening rather than as an afterthought.

Getting there

Metro line 10 stops at Ciutat Arts i Ciències – Justícia, about five minutes' walk away. The better approach on a warm night is to get out at Alameda (lines 3 and 5) and walk twenty minutes along the floor of the old riverbed, which is lit, flat and free of traffic. From the Torres de Serranos the same route is fifteen minutes by bike with no traffic lights at all. There is underground parking under the complex, but it fills on performance nights — see our parking guide.

What to expect

The start time, the running time and whether there is an interval are not in our listing; check the official page. Book dinner for after the performance, not before — in Valencia sitting down to eat at 22:30 is normal, and most kitchens in the centre are still serving. Latecomers are held outside until an interval, as at any opera house. There is no dress code, though a season opening pulls a smarter crowd than a weeknight.

Around the building

September evenings here are still summer evenings. Within a short walk are the Umbracle, the Hemisfèric and the Museu de les Ciències, all of which are more striking lit up from outside than they are inside during the day. If you are new to the city's transport, our guide to getting around Valencia covers the metro passes, the bus and the public bikes.