Estates Theatre: the stage where Mozart conducted Don Giovanni

On 29 October 1787, in the Estates Theatre, Mozart stood in front of the orchestra and conducted the first performance of Don Giovanni. He chose Prague for it. The city had taken The Marriage of Figaro to its heart, and he knew he had an audience here. The theatre is still standing, still working, and still has the nerve to put Mozart on stage.

The building

The theatre was built by Count Nostitz and opened in 1783. Its neoclassical front looks onto the Fruit Market (Ovocný trh), a short walk from Old Town Square, with a columned portico. For a time it was called the Nostitz Theatre. Today it is the Estates Theatre, after the Bohemian Estates who later owned it.

Mozart's story here did not end with Don Giovanni. His opera La clemenza di Tito premiered in Prague in 1791, in the same theatre, during the coronation celebrations. The theatre also appears in the film Amadeus, directed by Miloš Forman, which is why many visitors feel they know the interior before they have set foot in it. Film or no film, the real room is smaller and more intimate than you expect.

Why Prague, why Mozart

The Marriage of Figaro had its premiere in Vienna in 1786, and Prague took to it with enthusiasm. That success is the reason Mozart came to the city and the reason a new opera was commissioned. Prague's musical audience knew the work and wanted more, and a new opera for the city followed.

Czech theatre too

The Estates Theatre began as a venue for opera and plays in several languages, and it matters in Czech cultural history as well. Czech-language performances grew here over the nineteenth century, a thread in the story of the national revival. Today it belongs to the National Theatre group, with the National Theatre and the State Opera.

What is on

Opera, ballet and drama. Mozart has a strong presence, and Don Giovanni turns up in many seasons, but not every night on stage is Mozart, so check the programme because productions rotate. Operas are generally sung in the original language, with surtitles, and the surtitle languages vary by date (as of 2026; check the official source).

Tickets

Use the National Theatre's official box office or website, the same system that sells State Opera and National Theatre tickets.

Visiting without a ticket

You can admire the facade from the street at any time. Guided tours are offered at times, depending on the performance schedule, so check the official source. The little square in front is a pleasant place to stand for a few minutes, and much quieter than Old Town Square a few steps away.

What locals know

Prague opera-goers are used to hearing Mozart in this room and are sceptical of anything that treats it as a museum piece. Fresh productions come and go, and conversation about them is lively. The Czech habit of dressing up a notch for the theatre is alive here, though nobody will look askance at a smart casual outfit. Arrive early and take a look at the foyer, which is worth the extra ten minutes.

Another local tip: the Old Town bars in the streets behind the theatre fill up straight after the performance. If you want a table, book or go a little later.

Getting there

From Můstek (lines A and B), walk along Na Příkopě and turn towards the Old Town. From Staroměstská (line A), cut through the Old Town streets. Either way it is a short walk, and there are shops and cafés on the way, so take your time.

Make an evening of it

Stroll through the Old Town before the show. Work out your journey home with the metro's closing time in mind, around midnight, with night trams and buses after that.

Reading the building

Stand on the Fruit Market and look at the facade before you go in. The columns and the pediment are neoclassical, the style of the late eighteenth century, which favoured order and symmetry over decoration. It was a deliberate choice: a theatre for the educated public, built when the city's musical life was taking off.

Inside, the auditorium is horseshoe-shaped with tiers of boxes, a layout familiar from many European opera houses. Try to look up at the ceiling and around at the boxes before the lights go down. In a room this age, it is easy to imagine how the original audience saw the stage, and why the sound has a closeness that larger halls cannot copy.

A note on the repertoire

The Estates Theatre programme mixes opera, ballet and drama, and not every evening is in Czech or sung in the original language. Check the language of the performance and the surtitles before you book. A spoken-word play in Czech is a lovely evening for a Czech speaker and a very long one for anyone else. Opera and ballet travel better, which is why they are the usual choice for visitors.

Frequently asked questions

When did Don Giovanni premiere?

On 29 October 1787, in the Estates Theatre, with Mozart conducting.

Is the Estates Theatre part of the National Theatre?

Yes. It belongs to the National Theatre group with the National Theatre and the State Opera.

Is Don Giovanni always on?

No. Productions rotate, so check the programme for your dates.

Where do I buy tickets?

From the National Theatre's official box office or website.

Today: check the National Theatre programme for the Estates Theatre and see whether any Mozart is on in the next six weeks.