State Opera Stara Zagora, opera house in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria

The State Opera Stara Zagora is an opera and ballet theatre whose modern building, inaugurated in 1971, was the first in Bulgaria constructed specifically for opera. It stands as the country's oldest opera house outside Sofia and the second Bulgarian opera institution after the National Opera in Sofia.

The house was founded in 1925 as Bulgaria's second opera venue after Sofia. Its current building dates to 1971 and was the first structure in the country designed specifically for opera performance.

The opera organises the Festival of Opera and Ballet Arts, a long-standing Bulgarian forum for opera and ballet. Its ballet troupe, founded after 1946, marked its 75th anniversary at the 2024 festival. Guest singers have included Nicolai Ghiaurov, Anna Tomowa-Sintow and Vesselina Kasarova.

Tickets can be purchased at the ticket center located near the city center, which is open on weekdays during regular business hours. It helps to check the program in advance to learn about performance dates and available seating.

The building that opened in 1971 was the first in Bulgaria constructed specifically for opera, and it is described as the largest opera house on the Balkan Peninsula. Its crystal chandeliers, imported from Italy, were destroyed in the 1991 fire, and the house reopened on 5 October 2010 with Bizet's Carmen.