--- title: "Grand Théâtre de Dijon: How to Visit and What to See" description: "The Grand Théâtre faces Place du Théâtre, a few steps from the church of Saint-Michel and the Fine Arts Museum." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/grand-theatre-de-dijon lang: en updated: 2026-10-08 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/things-to-do/grand-theatre-de-dijon.png --- # Grand Théâtre de Dijon > Grand Théâtre de Dijon: a neoclassical theatre of 1828 with a portico of eight Corinthian columns, on the site of the dukes' Sainte-Chapelle. Grand Théâtre de Dijon is in Dijon (Côte-d'Or), 44 min by road (48 km) from Beaune. Allow 10 to 15 minutes · UNESCO World Heritage · Private driver from Beaune: €120 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. The Grand Théâtre faces Place du Théâtre, a few steps from the church of Saint-Michel and the Fine Arts Museum. Its colonnade, inspired by classical antiquity, is one of the most striking facades in Dijon. With the modern Auditorium, it forms the Opéra de Dijon, but the theatre is closed for a long renovation. ## Key facts - Type: Heritage - Location: 35 km north-east of Beaune · Côte-d'Or - Coordinates: 47.3215, 5.0432 - 44 min from Beaune - Allow 10 to 15 minutes - UNESCO World Heritage - Where: [Dijon · Côte-d'Or](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/dijon) - Official website: [opera-dijon.fr](https://opera-dijon.fr/en/discover-the-opera/grand-theatre/) - From Beaune: ≈ 44 min · 48 km - €120 one way from Beaune with a [private driver](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver) - Or add it to our [full-day wine tour, €560](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/full-day). ## Getting there - [Private driver from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver): 44 min by road (48 km), €120 one way for the whole car. Coming by train or plane? [Transfers from stations and airports](https://www.cote-privee.com/transfers) Estimates per vehicle for up to 4 guests, tolls included. Your price is confirmed when you book. ## History The theatre stands on the site of the Sainte-Chapelle of the dukes of Burgundy, the seat of the Order of the Golden Fleece, which was pulled down from 1802. The first stone was laid on 2 December 1810 to plans by the Dijon architect Jacques Cellerier. Work stopped for years during the fall of the Empire, and the theatre was finally inaugurated on 4 November 1828. Its facades and roofs have been listed as historic monuments since 1975. Inside is an Italian-style horseshoe auditorium with three balconies, decorated by Pierre-Luc-Charles Ciceri, the famous decorator of the Paris Opera. The ceiling, painted by Charles-Antoine Cambon in 1855 and 1856, creates the illusion of a garden ringed by a balustrade, with sphinxes and cherubs holding portraits of playwrights and composers. A renovation in 1969 and 1970 cut the seating from 1,000 to 692 places. The city began a new restoration in phases in 2021, and the theatre is due to reopen in 2028. ## What you will see Stand in Place du Théâtre to take in the portico of eight Corinthian columns, crowned by an entablature and an attic. Its lines recall the Grand Théâtre of Bordeaux and the old Paris stock exchange. The square around it gathers several chapters of Dijon's history: the church of Saint-Michel with its Renaissance front, the former church of Saint-Étienne, now a library, and the back of the Palace of the Dukes. ## Planning your visit The theatre is closed while the works go on, and the city plans to reopen it in 2028, so for now the facade is what you can see. A stop of 10 to 15 minutes is enough. Meanwhile, the Opéra de Dijon goes on staging opera and concerts at its modern Auditorium. The Fine Arts Museum and Place de la Libération are a two-minute walk away. ## Did you know? The main chandelier of the auditorium, made of Murano crystal around 1900, measures 2.70 metres across, weighs 700 kilograms and is made of 2,000 glass tubes. ## Around Grand Théâtre de Dijon What to combine with Grand Théâtre de Dijon on the same day, nearest first. ### Villages - [Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/dijon) (1 km away): Burgundy's historic capital, city of the Valois dukes and northern gateway to the Route des Grands Crus. - [Marsannay-la-Côte](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/marsannay-la-cote) (7 km away): Gateway to the Côte de Nuits and Burgundy's only village appellation making red, white and rosé. - [Fixin](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/fixin) (10 km away): A quiet wine village with Napoleon in the woods, a Romanesque church in the vines and firm reds. ### Châteaux - [Château de Montmusard](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-montmusard) (1 km away): The surviving wing of a daring neoclassical pleasure house designed by Charles De Wailly. - [Château de Fontaine-lès-Dijon (Maison natale de saint Bernard)](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-fontaine-les-dijon), 3 km away: The hilltop birthplace of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, overlooking Dijon. - [Château de Marsannay](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-marsannay) (7 km away): A modern wine château at the northern gateway to the Côte de Nuits. ### Things to do - [Dijon Fine Arts Museum (Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/musee-des-beaux-arts-dijon), 1 km away: One of the oldest museums in France, home to the tombs of the Valois dukes of Burgundy. - [François Rude Museum (Musée François Rude)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/musee-rude), 1 km away: A full-size cast of the Marseillaise from the Arc de Triomphe, inside a former Dijon church. - [Magnin Museum (Musée national Magnin)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/musee-magnin), 1 km away: A brother and sister's art collection, shown as a private home in a 17th-century mansion. ### Restaurants - [La Maison des Cariatides](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/la-maison-des-cariatides-dijon) (1 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): A chef couple from Le Bristol regains a star behind one of Dijon's most ornate Renaissance façades - [Loiseau des Ducs](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/loiseau-des-ducs-dijon) (1 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): The Loiseau signature in Dijon, served beneath the vaults of a sixteenth-century mansion - [CIBO](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/cibo-dijon) (1 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): A starred table in old Dijon that sources everything within 200 kilometres ### Events - **Saturday, 10 October 2026 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Show les papilles](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/show-les-papilles-dijon): Dijon's free festival of taste at the Cité internationale de la gastronomie et du vin. (Food & markets · Dijon) - **Sunday, 11 October 2026 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Marathon des Grands Crus](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/marathon-des-grands-crus): A marathon on the closed Route des Grands Crus, from Dijon to the Clos de Vougeot and back. (Sport · Dijon) - **Friday 23 – Sunday 25 October 2026 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Salon des Vignerons Indépendants de Bourgogne et du Jura](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/salon-vignerons-independants-dijon): Some sixty independent growers from Burgundy and the Jura pour and sell their wines in Dijon. (Wine festival · Dijon) - **Saturday 31 October – Wednesday 11 November 2026 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Foire internationale et gastronomique de Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/foire-gastronomique-dijon): Burgundy's great food fair, held every autumn in Dijon since 1921. (Food & markets · Dijon) - **Usually from the last Saturday of November to the first Sunday of January.** · [Les Fééries de Noël de Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/feeries-de-noel-dijon): Chalets, vin chaud, an ice rink and a big wheel across the heart of Dijon. (Christmas · Dijon) - **Usually from late November to early December.** · [Les Nuits d’Orient et d’ailleurs](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/nuits-d-orient-et-d-ailleurs-dijon): Dijon's winter festival of music, dance and art from the Orient and beyond. (Culture · Dijon) - **Each year on the weekend after the Saint-Vincent Tournante, usually a Saturday in late January or early February.** · [Saint-Vincent de Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/saint-vincent-de-dijon): Dijon honours the patron saint of winegrowers with a parade and a tasting village. (Tradition · Dijon) - **Usually a weekend in early June.** · [Grand Prix de l’Âge d’Or](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/grand-prix-age-d-or-dijon-prenois): France's oldest historic motor racing meeting, on the hills just outside Dijon. (Sport · Prenois) - **Every Sunday from late June to late September.** · [Le Brunch des Halles](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/brunch-des-halles-dijon): Summer Sunday brunches cooked by local chefs under Dijon's iron market hall. (Food & markets · Dijon) - **Every two years, in even-numbered years; recent editions were held in early July. The next is expected in 2028.** · [Les Fêtes de la Vigne de Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/fetes-de-la-vigne-dijon): Dijon's international folk festival, born in 1946 and held every two years. (Culture · Dijon) - **Friday 27 – Sunday 29 August 2027 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Golden Coast Festival](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/golden-coast-festival-dijon): Three days of French and international rap in a park on the edge of Dijon. (Music · Dijon) - **Usually a Sunday in mid September.** · [Vélotour Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/velotour-dijon): A playful bike ride through Dijon that opens places normally closed to cyclists. (Sport · Dijon) - **Usually the third weekend of September, during the European Heritage Days.** · [Fête de la Pressée](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/fete-de-la-pressee-chenove): The dukes' giant wine presses come back to life in Chenôve's old village. (Tradition · Chenôve) - **Usually the last days of September and the first days of October.** · [Tribu Festival](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/tribu-festival-dijon): Dijon's festival of world music, jazz and adventurous sounds, at the turn of October. (Music · Dijon) ## Questions about Grand Théâtre de Dijon ### How far is Grand Théâtre de Dijon from Beaune? Grand Théâtre de Dijon is about 44 min from Beaune by road (48 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €120 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### How long does a visit to Grand Théâtre de Dijon take? For the visit, allow 10 to 15 minutes. ### When is Grand Théâtre de Dijon open? Opening days and times change during the year, so check the official website (opera-dijon.fr) before you go. Your driver can plan the day around them. ### Is Grand Théâtre de Dijon a UNESCO World Heritage site? Yes. Grand Théâtre de Dijon is part of a site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. ### Can a private driver take us to Grand Théâtre de Dijon? Yes. Your driver collects you in Beaune or at your hotel in an electric Polestar 2 (up to 4 guests), waits while you visit and plans the rest of the day with you. The driver speaks English, French, Mandarin Chinese and Arabic. → [Full-day wine tour, €560](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/full-day) ## Book - [Book a driver here](https://www.cote-privee.com/book?service=driver&place=sight:grandtheatredijon): €120 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - - --- Canonical page: