Teatry i opera: Szczecin

Theatres and opera in Szczecin: the Philharmonic, Opera at the Castle, Polish Theatre and alternative stages. Eight venues for an evening for two.

The list brings together Szczecin stages that people visit for music, drama or puppets. All eight places carry the tags "For couples" and "Rainy day", and most lie in Śródmieście and Stare Miasto, so an evening at the theatre combines easily with a walk.

Where in Szczecin can you go to the theatre or a concert?

Most stages are in Stare Miasto: Opera at the Castle, Piwnica przy Krypcie, Kana and the Contemporary Theatre. Further away are the Philharmonic in Śródmieście-Północ, the Pleciuga Puppet Theatre and the Summer Theatre in Łękno.

The Opera na Zamku (Opera at the Castle) has occupied the southern part of the Pomeranian Dukes' Castle since 1978, though the institution itself dates from 1956. Its ensemble consists of an orchestra, a choir and ballet dancers, so besides operas there are ballets and concerts. In the same castle plays Piwnica przy Krypcie, a theatre formed in 2015 by merging the dramatic Krypta Theatre from 1965 with the cabaret Piwnica przy Krypcie.

Teatr Współczesny (Contemporary Theatre) sits inside the building of the National Museum on Chrobry Embankment. The Main Stage and the Nowe Sytuacje Stage work there, while the Small Theatre is on Deptak Bogusława. Kana (teatr) is an alternative theatre founded in 1979, based since 1994 in a townhouse at Piotra i Pawła Square 4/5 and honoured with an award from Edinburgh.

Which theatre suits an evening for two or a night out with a child?

For an evening for two, drama and music stages fit, and with a child it is best to start with the puppet theatre. Two places are clearly family-friendly or open-air, as described below.

Teatr Lalek Pleciuga (Pleciuga Puppet Theatre) has operated since 1958, and since 2009 in a new building at Teatralny Square 1. The programme has productions for the youngest and stagings of world literature for older audiences. Teatr Letni im. Heleny Majdaniec (Helena Majdaniec Summer Theatre) is an amphitheatre in Kasprowicz Park by Lake Rusałka, dating from the 1970s and relaunched in 2022 after a rebuild. It stands on a natural slope among trees, so the visit combines well with a walk through the parks and nature of Szczecin.

How do the opera, the philharmonic and a drama theatre differ?

The Państwowa Filharmonia im. Mieczysława Karłowicza w Szczecinie (Mieczysław Karłowicz Philharmonic) has played since 2014 at Małopolska 48 in a white building put up in 2011-2014 on the site of the Art Nouveau Konzerthaus. Seating is 953 in the symphonic hall and 192 in the chamber one. The building is meant to recall the tip of an iceberg, and the article Stages of Szczecin: the Philharmonic awarded in 2015 and the theatres of Śródmieście tells more about the architecture of the city's stages.

Teatr Polski (Polish Theatre) is a Szczecin drama theatre founded in 1946. It stands at Swarożyca 5 in Drzetowo-Grabowo, in a historic building from about 1920 to which a new wing was added in 2023 on the Oder side. The full list of stages in the category is on the page theatres and opera in West Pomerania.

Frequently asked questions

Where can you see opera in Szczecin?

The Opera at the Castle occupies the southern part of the Pomeranian Dukes' Castle in Stare Miasto, with its own orchestra, choir and ballet.

Where are the symphonic concerts in Szczecin?

At the Karłowicz Philharmonic, Małopolska 48. The symphonic hall is the larger one and the chamber hall the smaller.

Which theatre in Szczecin is for children?

The Pleciuga Puppet Theatre, whose programme includes shows for the youngest.

Is there an open-air theatre in Szczecin?

Yes, the Helena Majdaniec Summer Theatre in Kasprowicz Park is an amphitheatre by Lake Rusałka.