Work at the service of artistic creation
Green transition issues are a reminder of the importance of intangible goods: the arts play a major role in the preservation of living things. The Opéra de Lyon is committed to creating new works while preserving and presenting pieces from its repertoire.

Work with artists with similar values on life
Mycelium, which premiered in 2023 and is currently acclaimed on tour, is an opportunity to reflect on living things. The Opera on the Road production of 2024, Le Sang du Glacier (Blood Glacier), questions our viewpoints on green issues through the lens of fiction. This production travelled for two years throughout the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. In 2026, the Pôle de Ressources pour l’Éducation Artistique et Culturelle (PRÉAC) for Opera and Vocal Expression set up camp in Montélimar for sessions on the connections between storytelling and ecology.

Make shows accessible to all audiences
The Opéra de Lyon strives for the arts to be accessible to diverse audiences thanks to special prices and partnerships, free events and tours, a vast show selection for students, and a focus on high schools and universities. In response to issues regarding mobility and territorial disparities, the Opéra de Lyon produces yearly travelling shows throughout the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and created Opera Under the Stars in collaboration with local actors. The Opéra de Lyon is also active in the legal and health sectors and is committed to a large-scale project conducted with the Hospices Civils de Lyon.

Contribute to the evolution of our field
The Opera and its counterparts share reflexions about the life cycle of productions, number of performances, development of new formats… The Opéra de Lyon has the necessary assets to deal with such challenges and work towards more sustainability. It permanently benefits from artistic forces and set and costume design studios, allowing for a year-round production of new and preexisting works, at the Opera or on tour. The life cycle of productions can therefore be extended. The Opéra de Lyon is part of a shared funding network with other opera houses, a favoured option to produce new shows.

Come up with alternative production methods: green set design and circular economy
As a member of the Collectif 17h25, the Opéra de Lyon has been involved in a pioneer research and development project as part of the France 2030 plan – “Supporting Green Alternatives”. Revolving on the standardisation of set components, the project’s main goals is to reduce the carbon footprint generated by set building and transportation. After the first research and experimentation phases, the 2026 goal is to share the results with the whole field, contributing to collective changes in the industry’s crafts and work modes.

Spread awareness and train staff and master builders
The Opéra de Lyon is committed to spreading awareness and train its staff as well as guest artists so that professionals can contribute to change as a community. The Opera is also part of the Green Book Theatre European initiative, which strives towards building a shared frame of reference on green issues with other French opera houses.

In order to successfully carry out its 2030 goals, the Opéra de Lyon has begun updating its carbon footprint starting in 2025, with the aim of collectively automating the internal process.

Work towards new ways to move
After conducting a study on the audience’s modes of transportation, the Opéra de Lyon engaged in discussions with local cultural actors and mobility experts in order to fulfil the users’ needs, especially in terms of soft mobility. We are adamant that the transportation of artists and productions must be tackled by a network of cultural actors. Consequently, the Opéra de Lyon takes part in devising shared criteria in this regard by using them in its trip booking policies.

Energetic performance of our facilities
Thanks to real-time measurement, the Opéra de Lyon has implemented specific solutions to control and reduce its water and energy footprints. This process has already allowed us to reduce our energy use by 40% since 2019. Our current objective is about balancing our energetic goals with the various human and artistic activities conducted on our premises.

Reduce waste
Since 2023, 90% of recycled waste is dealt with in accordance with current regulations. The Opéra de Lyon included the recycling of biodegradable waste to its measures, and is currently working on reducing its paper and cardboard waste.

Green purchasing
The Opéra de Lyon reinforced the implementation of carbon and CSR criteria on various markets to change its purchasing policies and ensure ethical collaborations with all our service providers.

Digital sobriety
The Opéra de Lyon aims at better tracking its digital carbon footprint and set up a plan to limit it, which includes the sustainable management of IT and phone infrastructures, digital documentation use, control over stored data and reasonable use of digital communication. The Opera is part of the Augures Labs Numériques Responsible 2026.

The Opéra de Lyon’s environmental policies are constantly evolving and feeding from several networks: the Collectif 17h25 for green design and field the Green Book Theatre, a European initiative from Opera Europa, and the Augures Labs Numérique Responsable program. Such policies are also shared via discussions conducted within professional or university networks.