The Court of Auditors highlights the dynamism and fragility of regional operas

Published on June 18, 2025 at 7:05 p.m.

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Lille Opera, November 12, 2023. PASCAL BONNIERE / VOIX DU NORD / MAXPPP

In a report published on June 17, the Court of Auditors emphasized the role of operas in the cultural influence of cities and regions. However, their financial situation and management methods require consolidation and streamlining, with a view to " greater efficiency ."

Often located in the heart of the city, the opera house proudly imposes its facade in the urban setting, just like the town hall or the Museum of Fine Arts... In France, there are thirty opera houses - including six in the Paris region alone - which produce, host and broadcast operas and ballets throughout the season. The Paris Opera is the bridgehead, which was also the subject of a previous report by the Court of Auditors (2024) and therefore does not appear (except for comparison) in the latest study by the magistrates of rue Cambon . Regional opera houses are located overwhelmingly in cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants, established in "historic" halls and considered a significant vector of cultural attractiveness. But also of expenditure...

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