Cologne Opera, Opera house in Altstadt-Nord, Germany

Cologne Opera is a music theatre on Offenbachplatz in the Altstadt-Nord district, designed by Wilhelm Riphahn and opened in 1957. The auditorium seats 1,300 and has no circulating ranks; instead, balconies of varying heights protrude into the hall, all giving a frontal view of the stage. The orchestra pit holds 100 musicians. The building forms part of an arts complex with the Schauspiel Köln, built in 1962.

The current building opened in 1957 after the previous structure was destroyed during the Second World War. Chancellor Konrad Adenauer attended the opening ceremony and thereby honored the importance of this new beginning for the city.

The house is named after the city and its company has staged roughly 25 different operas each season from September to June. The auditorium has no circulating ranks; instead, balconies of varying heights protrude into the hall, all giving a frontal view of the stage. The building opened in 1957 and was called Germany's "most beautiful theatre building" by the press.

The building is centrally located in Altstadt-Nord and easily reached via the surrounding streets. Major renovation work starting in 2012 led to temporary relocations of performances to other venues around the city.

In 1996 the first dedicated children's opera in Europe was established here, offering fairy tales, baroque pieces and contemporary compositions for young audiences since then. This section has grown into a permanent part of the program and specifically reaches families with children.