The 2026-2027 season marks a new chapter in this transformation with the modernisation of the stage tower, the true technical heart of the theatre. Hidden from public view yet essential to the magic of performance, this space brings together three interdependent levels: the substage machinery, the stage itself — where sets and technical systems come to life — and the fly tower. It is within this space that technical ingenuity and artistic imagination converge.
The works will first reinforce the structure of the stage in order to restore its full load-bearing capacity and open up new possibilities for staging. A modular structure will be installed beneath the stage, enabling the stage configuration to be tailored to the requirements of each production while opening up new visual possibilities, notably through a system of traps allowing sudden appearances and transformations.
In the fly tower, the historic machinery, still operated through ropes and counterweights, will give way to a motorised system. This development will allow for greater capacity in the lifting and handling of scenery while improving working conditions for the technical teams.
In this respect, the spirit of the project remains faithful to that of the architect Louis Bernier: placing the most advanced technologies at the service of artistic creation.
This modernisation campaign also provides an opportunity to rethink several emblematic spaces within the theatre. The orchestra pit is receiving particular attention: its decorative scheme will be restored in the spirit of the designs conceived at the end of the nineteenth century, thereby completing the architectural harmony of the auditorium. Access to the pit will also be redesigned in order to improve conditions for musicians and ensure accessibility for people with reduced mobility.
This transformation pursues a dual ambition: to preserve the history of the theatre while preparing its future. By restoring the stage's full technical capacities and modernising its equipment, the Opéra-Comique is equipping itself with a stage apparatus capable of supporting the widest range of creative forms, today and for decades to come.