Ticket Service

Opening Hours

Pre-sale box office at Opern Passagen
Monday till Friday from 10:00 to 18:00
Saturday from 11:00 to 18:00

Please note: During the summer break from July 14 to August 25, our pre-sale box office at Opern Passagen will be closed. During this time, we will be available by phone (Mon–Fri, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.) and email.

Contact

Bühnen Köln / Ticket Service
PO Box 10 10 61
50450 Köln
Hotline +49 22122128400
Fax +49 22122128249
tickets@buehnen.koeln

Bank Details & Payment Options

Bühnen Köln
Sparkasse KölnBonn
IBAN: DE 3837 0501 9800 2464 2969
BIC: COLSDE33

You can pay at the Bühnen Köln ticket service in cash, by bank transfer, by credit card (Master Card, Visa, American Express) or Debit card.

Evening Box office at Staatenhaus

The box office usually opens one hour before the performance begins. Please understand that only tickets for that evening’s performance can be purchased or collected at the box office.

Advance sales or collection of tickets for other dates, exchanges, and dedicated subscriber services cannot be offered there.

We kindly ask you to pay by debit or credit card at the box office whenever possible.

Reservations

Tickets can be reserved without obligation for up to six days (until a maximum of five days before the event). Reserved tickets that have not been paid for by then will be released for sale again.

Ordered tickets can be sent by post if they have been paid for at least eight working days prior to the performance date.

Please provide a telephone number or your email address with any type of reservation in case of follow-up questions.

Start of advance sales 26/27

Subscriptions for the 26/27 season will be available here from 26 March 2026.

Advance sales for single tickets begin on 4 May 2026 – online, by phone, and at the theatre box office in the Opern Passagen.

Gift cards

Gift vouchers for small or special occasions are available throughout the year online as well as from the Bühnen Köln ticket service. The vouchers are valid for three years from the date of issue.

Group bookings

For bookings of ten people or more, as well as for school classes, etc., please contact our group service by email at gruppen@buehnen.koeln.

Groups of ten or more receive a 10% discount. Groups of 20 or more receive a 20% discount.

A fee of €1.50 per ticket is charged for group bookings. Educational and social institutions are exempt.

Prices

The classification of the price categories as well as special prices and reductions can be found in the current programme. Different prices apply for special events and guest performances.

Discounts valid up to and including the 25/26 season

Pupils, students, trainees, volunteers, FSJ volunteers (up to the age of 35) and Köln-Pass holders receive a 50% discount on the regular ticket price for stage performances for all seating groups. In addition, these groups will receive remaining tickets at the box office at the standard price of €8 while stocks last. Recipients of benefits according to SGB II, wheelchair users and people with severe disabilities with a degree of disability of 100% or with a ‘B’ in their disability card receive a 50% discount on presentation of proof. If the letter ‘B’ is noted on the disabled person's ID, one accompanying person will also receive a free admission ticket. This companion ticket can only be issued by the Bühnen Köln ticket service.

Discounts from the 26/27 season onwards

People under 27 can purchase a U27 ticket for €12, subject to availability.

The following groups are entitled to a 50% discount on the regular ticket price for Bühnen Köln productions across all seating categories:

  • Recipients of benefits under SGB II
  • Wheelchair users
  • Köln-Pass holders
  • Holders of a volunteer card (Ehrenamtskarte)
  • People with a disability rating of 50 or higher or with a “B” indicated on their disability ID*

* If the letter “B” is indicated on the disability ID, an accompanying person is also entitled to a free ticket. This companion ticket can only be issued by the Bühnen Köln ticket service. Please inform us at the time of booking if you or your companion require a wheelchair space, use a walker, or have limited mobility. Tickets for wheelchair users and companion tickets can be purchased, subject to availability, directly online at www.buehnen.koeln, at the theatre box office, or by phone.

Dynamic Pricing

When a seating category reaches 70% occupancy, prices increase by 10%; when it reaches 90% occupancy, prices increase by 20% (based on the price stated at the start of advance sales).

Our website displays the price valid at the time of booking.

At the opera house, price categories 6 and 7 are excluded from this policy.

Bühnen Köln Cards

With our Bühnen Köln Cards, you can save money on every visit. Find out more here.

Familienvorstellungen

At our family performances, adults receive a 50% discount on the regular ticket price when booking together with at least one child or young person under the age of 18. A maximum of two adults per booking can benefit from this discount. Tickets for children and young people are available for €12.

DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE – 23 December 2026, 6 PM
DIE VERKAUFTE BRAUT – 28 March 2027, 6 PM
RUSALKA – 28 May 2027, 7 PM
MY FAIR LADY – 26 June 2027, 7:30 PM

Cologne Culture Solidarity Fund

On 4 February 2025, the Operating Committee of the City of Cologne's Bühnen. 2025 commissioned the Bühnen Köln to introduce a so-called „Kölner Kultur Soli“.

With the start of advance ticket sales for the 25/26 season, the admission prices for opera, theatre and dance events increased by €1 per ticket. The „Kölner Kultur Soli“ will be reduced by the percentage of the reduction for discounted tickets. The income generated by the „Kölner Kultur Soli“ benefits the independent theatre scene in Cologne.

Hall Plans valid up to and including the 26/27 season

Seating plan from the 26/27 season onwards

The seating plan of the Cologne Opera at Offenbachplatz shows a semicircular auditorium with the stage (“STAGE”) positioned at the top center. In front of it, the stalls (parterre) extend in several curved rows that fan out toward the stage. The seats are represented as colored dots and are divided into seven price categories. The central seats close to the stage are predominantly marked in yellow (price category 1), transitioning toward the back first into purple (PK 2) and then into red (PK 3). The side sections of the stalls (“Stalls Left” and “Stalls Right”) also mainly feature purple seats, which shift to red further toward the back and become denser toward the center. In the rear part of the stalls and in smaller seating blocks between the boxes, additional colors appear: light blue (PK 4), green (PK 5), dark blue (PK 6), and orange (PK 7). These represent the lower price categories and are primarily located in areas farther from the stage or toward the sides. The auditorium is enclosed in a horseshoe shape by box seating on two levels (“Tier 1” and “Tier 2”), which are divided into individual boxes labeled from right to left with letters A to L (Tier 1) and M to W (Tier 2). Within these boxes, the seats are also color-coded and include all price categories from yellow to orange, with higher-priced seats mainly located in Tier 1 and in the central boxes, while lower-priced seats are more commonly found in the outer boxes and in Tier 2. A legend at the bottom clearly assigns colors to the price categories: yellow represents PK 1, purple PK 2, red PK 3, light blue/turquoise PK 4, green PK 5, dark blue PK 6, and orange PK 7. Overall, the color distribution follows a clear pricing logic: the closer a seat is to the stage and the center of the auditorium, the higher its category; the farther away or more lateral the position, the lower the price category.
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