Saigon Opera House
A French colonial theatre of 1900 that spent decades as a parliament chamber before going back to being a theatre.
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The Municipal Theatre opened in 1900 on Lam Son square, built by French architects in a Third Republic idiom borrowed from the Petit Palais, with a heavily ornamented front, caryatids and a domed vestibule. Under the Republic of Vietnam it was converted and used as the lower house of the National Assembly, and the interior was altered accordingly; it was returned to use as a theatre in 1975 and restored towards its original appearance for the city's tercentenary in 1998. It now hosts the A O Show and similar productions, which use bamboo, acrobatics and Vietnamese rural imagery, along with concerts and ballet.
What you actually see
- A theatre of 1900 - built in a French Third Republic manner.
- Years as a parliament chamber - before returning to theatre use in 1975.
- Restored for 1998 - the city's tercentenary.
- The A O Show and concerts - what plays there now.
When to go
Year round; evenings for performances. An hour, or a night out.
Honest expectations
The interior is only seen with a ticket - there are no general tours. Show prices are high by Vietnamese standards. The square outside is busy. The building is best photographed in the evening light.
Nearby
The cathedral and post office are a short walk north-west.
What to pack for Saigon Opera House
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
