Cork Opera House

Cork Opera House sits on Emmet Place and features a main auditorium that seats around 1,000 people for theatrical performances, concerts, and dance productions. The building also contains a smaller venue called the Half Moon Theatre and an on-site cafe for refreshments.

The building opened as The Athenaeum in 1855 and went through significant changes over the decades. A major electrical fire in 1955 caused extensive damage, but the site was reconstructed and reopened as an opera house in 1965.

The building serves as a hub for local and visiting performers to share diverse art forms with the community. Ballet companies, theater groups, and musicians from around the world present their work in its spaces throughout the year.

The venue is accessible on foot in the city center and well connected by local transport options. Most performances happen on weekday evenings and weekends, so plan your visit accordingly.

The reconstruction was handled by a nationally prominent architecture team and reflects design thinking from the 1960s. The Half Moon Theatre space allows experimental and smaller-scale productions to find an audience.

Location: Cork

Inception: 1855

Official opening: 1855

Website: http://corkoperahouse.ie

GPS coordinates: 51.90030,-8.47258

Latest update: December 10, 2025 16:03