Paris Opera Garnier renovations to take additional three years - French media
- Ikuko
- 1 day ago
- 1 min read
Opéra national de Paris (Paris Opera) has extended the renovation closure of the Palais Garnier by three years because of lead contamination, French media reported on 2nd July 2026.
In October 2024, Paris Opera announced the renovation plans to close the iconic 150-year old Palais Garnier in 2027 for two years and the Opéra Bastille in 2030 also for two years.
However, the overhaul and decontamination on the structure of the Palais Garnier is now expected to take five years. Subsequently, the reopening date is delayed to 2032, French newspaper Le Monde said.
Paris Opera director general Alexander Neef told Agence France-Presse (AFP) about the decision to extend the closure on the same day, according to Le Monde. He said that lead needed to be removed from the stage area due to stricter regulations.
The more modern Bastille, which was inaugurated in July 1989, will close once the work at Garnier has been completed.
The Paris Opera renovations had been estimated at €450 million by the culture ministry, a quarter of which would be financed by the French state, the newspaper said.
In October 2024, the cost for the twin renovation works was estimated at at least €200 million by 2030, according to France’s state audit body Court of Accounts.
Dazzlingly gorgeous interior of the Palais Garnier - below images were taken by myself with my iPhone in March 2024. All three ©Prima Materia/Ikuko Kuranone
