The real barrier is perception
In my experience working with cultural institutions, the biggest challenge opera houses and ballet companies face is perception. Many people think “it’s not for me”. They imagine it’s elitist, expensive or intimidating. They worry about what to wear, or that they won’t know when to clap. Or they assume it belongs to another era. Yet, when you actually take someone to the opera for the first time, the reaction is almost always the same: “Wow”.
The scale, the beauty, and the craftsmanship are overwhelming in the best way. The barrier was never the experience itself. It was ignorance about what that experience might be.
That distinction is important. Opera and ballet should absolutely remain exceptional – these are art forms that demand incredible levels of skill, discipline and creativity. Exceptional is good, inaccessible is not. Many institutions still confuse the two.
Look outside the sector
One of the biggest mistakes cultural institutions make is thinking their competitors are other theatres. Their real competitors are Netflix, Spotify, Instagram – the entire attention economy. People today are choosing how to spend an evening, not simply which cultural venue to attend.
If opera houses want to compete in that environment, they need to look outside their own sector for inspiration. Fashion brands, sportswear companies and entertainment platforms have become masters at building immersive brand worlds. They don’t simply sell a product, they create a universe people want to participate in.
Opera houses and ballet companies already have something much richer than most brands – centuries of history, incredible craftsmanship and powerful storytelling. They rarely activate that cultural capital in ways that feel contemporary.
The answer is definitely not gimmicks. One opera house tried to reach younger audiences by organising a massive techno party in the main hall. It was packed and everyone had fun, but none of those people came back to see an opera. They went to a party in a cool building — not to discover opera. If you want people to engage with the art form, you have to bring them into its world.