Beneath the Gilded Ceiling: My Night at the Paris Opera

I arrived in Paris during Fashion Week, when the city hums with elegance and electricity. The streets pulsed with movement—heels tapping cobblestones, silks fluttering past café tables, and flashes of cameras catching moments of style and spectacle. It was my very first trip to Paris, and the city exceeded every imagined detail. Amid the beauty and chaos, one destination pulled me most: the Palais Garnier. That night, I would finally experience a performance beneath the golden ceiling I had long dreamed of.

From my seat in the orchestra, I gazed up at the legendary chandelier, suspended beneath Marc Chagall’s painted dome. The evening’s program featured two ballets, both touched by the spirit of Jean Cocteau—Phaedra, a bold retelling of the Greek tragedy, and Le Jeune Homme et la Mort, a raw and riveting meditation on despair. Though rooted in classical narrative, the performances felt strikingly modern—angular, visceral, electric. To witness these contemporary expressions within the historic grandeur of the Palais Garnier was nothing short of surreal.

It was especially powerful because the opera house had lived in my imagination for years. At 15, I watched the 1925 silent film The Phantom of the Opera, and it was the scene on the grand staircase that enchanted me most. That vision—shadowy and shimmering—stayed with me, becoming a symbol of beauty, mystery, and the artistic life I hoped one day to glimpse up close. Walking down that very staircase after the performance, I felt as though a thread had pulled my younger self forward into this moment.

Though I’ve since returned to the Palais Garnier many times, nothing compares to that first evening. The emotion remains unchanged: awe, reverence, and an overwhelming sense of wonder. Beneath that gilded ceiling, Paris revealed not just its beauty, but its ability to make imagination feel like memory.

Book your tickets well in advance—performances at the Palais Garnier often sell out quickly, especially during peak seasons like Fashion Week. If you're considering a box seat, know that most hold four seats, and unless you book the entire box, you may be seated with strangers. Not ready for a performance? You can still experience the magic of the opera house through a daytime tour, which offers a stunning glimpse of its grand staircase, Chagall ceiling, and lavish salons without the evening dress code.

For more travel inspiration and insider recommendations, check out our Paris page.