Theatre and opera

Theatres and opera in Silesia: the Silesian Theatre, the Opera in Bytom, NOSPR and historic stages. See what to visit and where to take children.

The Silesian Voivodeship has over twenty stages and concert halls, from neoclassical theatres of the early twentieth century to philharmonic halls in modernist buildings. Some are housed in a former pay hall, a former casino or even in ruins, so many are worth seeing from the outside as well. The list covers Upper Silesia, the Dąbrowa Basin, Częstochowa and Cieszyn Silesia.

Which theatres in Silesia should you see first?

A good start is four addresses from different parts of the region: the Silesian Theatre on the Katowice market square, the Silesian Opera building in Bytom, the seat of NOSPR in Katowice and the theatre in Cieszyn. Each represents a different era and a different kind of stage.

Where to go for theatre and concerts in Katowice?

Katowice has the most stages, and the Śródmieście district holds several of them. More detailed lists are on the pages for Katowice and Śródmieście.

The Silesian Theatre occupies a building from 1907 that is on the register of monuments, and it is regarded as the largest drama stage in Upper Silesia. The building's story is told in an article about the house and its patron. In the Culture Zone stands the seat of NOSPR, opened in 2014, with a brick facade that recalls Nikiszowiec. The Silesian Museum and Spodek stand next door.

Smaller stages lie in the centre. The Rialto Cinema-Theatre has operated since 1913 and is now an art-house cinema with concerts and performances. The Ateneum Theatre is a Silesian puppet and actors' theatre with a repertoire for children, and Teatr Bez Sceny is an intimate stage founded in 1997 and nominated for the Golden Masks. In Załęże there is the independent Teatr Żelazny, and in Piotrowice-Ochojec Old Timers Garage: a theatre and club in the former Piast cinema, which also shows part of a collection of vintage cars.

Where are the opera and the philharmonic halls?

The Silesian Opera is based in Bytom, in a neoclassical building from 1901 that was put up as a concert house with a municipal theatre. It stands on Moniuszki Street and has a main stage and the Adam Didur hall. It was the first such building in the Upper Silesian conurbation.

Philharmonic halls operate in Częstochowa and Zabrze. The Częstochowa Philharmonic occupies a modernist building from 1955-1965 on Wilsona Street, raised on the foundations of the New Synagogue, which was burned in December 1939. It has two concert halls and is named after the violinist Bronisław Huberman. The Zabrze Philharmonic has been housed since 2010 in a building from 1911, the former Donnersmarck Library in Park Hutniczy. Also in Zabrze stands the House of Music and Dance, a modernist building from 1959 with a hall known for good acoustics. The Zabrze stages are gathered on the page for Zabrze.

Which historic theatre buildings are worth seeing?

The theatre in Cieszyn on Plac Teatralny was built in 1910 to a design by the Viennese architects Fellner and Helmer, has an auditorium for six hundred and thirty and belongs to the European Route of Historic Theatres. The Polish Theatre in Bielsko-Biała was built in 1888-1890 to a design by Emil von Förster, and its facade is decorated with statues of Apollo and the muses. The Zagłębie Theatre in Sosnowiec opened in 1897 as the Winter Theatre; it has an amphitheatre-style auditorium and paintings by Rudolf Sarbiewski.

In Zabrze the Nowy Theatre plays in the brick building of the former Donnersmarck steelworks casino. In Rybnik the Rybnik Land Theatre stands on a square named after Kazimierz Kutz, has a hall for six hundred and fifty and has been a listed monument since 2023. In Częstochowa the brick Adam Mickiewicz Theatre from 1928-1931 is the only public theatre in the city with a permanent acting company. Beware of the similar name: a theatre with the same patron also operates in Cieszyn.

Where to go to the theatre with a child?

Performances for the youngest are given by puppet theatres. Banialuka in Bielsko-Biała has operated since 1947 and organises an international puppetry festival; the city of fairy tales is covered in an article on Bolek and Lolek, Reksio and Banialuka. In Będzin the Dzieci Zagłębia Theatre stages performances for children, young people and adults. In Katowice the Ateneum has a repertoire for children. Musical shows are presented by the Teatr Rozrywki in Chorzów, housed in a former hotel and cultural centre; its history is told in a text on the Chorzów music hall.

Where does theatre play in an unusual place?

In Gliwice the ruins of the Victoria Theatre from 1890, burned in 1945, were never rebuilt; today they serve as a stage for artistic events. In Bytom the former pay hall of the Rozbark mine from 1911 is the home of the Bytom Dance and Movement Theatre. In Czeladź the Mine of Culture works in a former miners' canteen from 1912, and in Wisła a roofed amphitheatre in the town-centre park is an open-air stage. In Tychy the Teatr Mały presents performances by invited companies, and in Gliwice the City Theatre has several stages around town.

How to plan a trip around the region's stages?

The simplest way is to pick one city and see two stages from one area. In Katowice the Rialto and the Ateneum have addresses on the same Świętego Jana Street, and the Silesian Theatre stands on the market square. Zabrze has three entries, the Nowy Theatre, the Philharmonic and the House of Music and Dance, so it makes a good goal for a whole day. In Bielsko-Biała the Polish Theatre stands right next to the Sułkowski Dukes' Castle, and Banialuka is on Mickiewicza Street.

Stages scattered around the region combine well with a weekend away: Cieszyn lies in Cieszyn Silesia, Wisła in the Silesian Beskids, and Częstochowa has a theatre and a philharmonic hall. The Teatr Mały in Tychy works in a building from 1962-1965 and has an art gallery, so besides a show you can see an exhibition.

For more ideas see the categories Culture and Museums.

Frequently asked questions

Which theatre in Silesia is the largest?

The Silesian Theatre in Katowice is regarded as the largest drama stage in Upper Silesia. It has three stages and a building from 1907 on the market square.

Where is the opera in Silesia?

The Silesian Opera is based in Bytom, in a building from 1901 on Moniuszki Street. It was the first concert house with a municipal theatre in the Upper Silesian conurbation.

Where to go with a child?

To a puppet show at Banialuka in Bielsko-Biała, the Ateneum in Katowice or the Dzieci Zagłębia Theatre in Będzin. Young audiences can also see musical shows at the Teatr Rozrywki in Chorzów.

Are there stages in unusual buildings?

Yes. The Nowy Theatre in Zabrze plays in a former steelworks casino, dance theatre in Bytom has its home in a mine pay hall, and in Gliwice performances are staged in the ruins of a theatre from 1890.