Opera and Rustaveli Theatre

Tbilisi’s Opera and Ballet Theatre is usually described as neo-Moorish, but in fact it’s positively Babylonian. Together with its near neighbour, the restrained-by-comparison, Second Empire-style Rustaveli Theatre, these institutions make up the backbone of high culture in Georgia and form the handsomest part of Tbilisi’s absurdly grand main street, Rustaveli. Newly renovated after a $40m refit, the building regularly stages selections from Georgia’s rich but little-known operatic heritage. The Rustaveli Theatre sometimes has simultaneous English translations, but artistic director Robert Sturua’s famous Shakespeare productions are probably more powerful in Georgian alone (also don’t forget to look at the murals downstairs, these date from when the basement was a popular cafe for Georgia’s main artistic talents of the early-20th century).

The Georgian National Opera and Ballet Theater 25 Rustaveli Avenue
The Rustaveli Theatre 17 Rustaveli Avenue