In St Petersburg, "going to the Mariinsky" can mean any of three different buildings. The historic stage stands on Teatralnaya Square, the modern Mariinsky II is on Dekabristov Street, and the Concert Hall is on Pisareva Street. Tickets for all three are sold in one place, mariinsky.ru, but the theatre has rules that are worth knowing in advance: some tickets are issued in the holder's name, a screenshot may not be accepted at the entrance, and you can only return a ticket without losing money 10 days before the performance. Below we explain where to go, how to buy a ticket without falling into the hands of resellers, and what to see in November 2026.
Three stages: what is where
Stage
Address
What is usually on
Mariinsky Theatre (historic stage)
1 Teatralnaya Square
Classical ballet and opera in a 19th-century auditorium
Mariinsky II
34 Dekabristov Street
Opera and ballet on a large modern stage; the building also houses chamber halls and the Stravinsky Hall (entrance from Minsky Lane)
Concert Hall
20 Pisareva Street, letter A; audiences enter from 39 Dekabristov Street
Symphony and choral concerts, organ evenings, chamber operas
The addresses are given on the theatre's website. Before buying, check the playbill to see which stage your evening is on: the same title can appear in the programme of both the historic stage and Mariinsky II.
The historic Mariinsky Theatre building on Teatralnaya Square in the evening, with Mariinsky II visible on the right. Photo: Anton Nikiforov, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Getting there
There is no metro station right by the theatre. Teatralnaya station is being built with an exit onto Temirkanov Square, next to the Concert Hall, but according to Smolny data cited by Rossiyskaya Gazeta, it is not expected to open to passengers until 2030.
On its "How to get here" page, the theatre suggests routes such as these:
from Sadovaya, Sennaya Ploshchad and Spasskaya: buses No. 50, 70, 71, 262 and trolleybus No. 12 to the Teatralnaya Ploshchad stop;
from Nevsky Prospekt, Gostiny Dvor and Admiralteyskaya: buses No. 3 and 22 to the Mariinsky Teatr stop;
from Baltiyskaya: buses No. 70 and 71 to Teatralnaya Ploshchad, No. 100 to Mariinsky Teatr.
Other options, from Tekhnologichesky Institut and Narvskaya, are on the theatre's page.
Check the route in a navigation app before you set off. Driving is trickier: because of the construction of the metro entrance hall, parking on Teatralnaya Square is limited. The theatre also asks visitors to arrive early, as bags are searched at the entrance.
How to buy a ticket and avoid a clone site
Tickets are officially sold in three places: on mariinsky.ru, at the theatre's box offices and through organisations authorised by the theatre. Their list is published on the theatre's website.
The theatre warns about clone sites: they copy the design of mariinsky.ru, buy search engine advertising and sell tickets well above face value. The theatre takes no responsibility for such tickets and does not promise to admit holders, especially if the ticket shows no price. A ticket with an altered or concealed price, including an e-ticket, is invalid. It is safer to type mariinsky.ru in by hand rather than follow an advertising link.
How much it costs. There is no single price: it depends on the stage, the performance and the seat. You can see the cost in the playbill on the website when choosing seats. Pushkin Card holders have a separate filter in the playbill.
When the website stops selling. Online sales for a given evening close 1 hour before the start. After that, tickets can only be bought at the box office, and 30 minutes before the start the box offices of the historic stage and the Concert Hall sell tickets only for that day's performance.
Box offices. Open every day:
historic stage (1 Teatralnaya Square) from 11:00 to 19:00;
Mariinsky II (34 Dekabristov Street) from 11:00 to 19:00;
Concert Hall (entrance from 39 Dekabristov Street) from 11:00 to 19:00, break from 14:00 to 15:00;
Bolshoy Gostiny Dvor (corner of Nevskaya and Perinnaya Lines, 2nd floor) from 11:00 to 20:00, break from 15:00 to 16:00, on Fridays from 14:00 to 16:00.
Named tickets: when you need a passport
For some performances the theatre sells tickets in the holder's name. The rules are as follows:
when buying on the website or at the box office, you give the spectator's surname, first name and patronymic;
only one ticket can be issued per name, so a ticket for a friend is bought using their details;
at the entrance you show an ID document together with the ticket: a passport, military ID, residence permit or birth certificate;
if the details on the ticket and the document do not match, you will not be admitted and the money will not be refunded.
Named tickets are sold only on mariinsky.ru and at the theatre's box offices. Such a ticket can be transferred to another person no later than 10 days before the performance; to do this you must go in person to the box office on Teatralnaya Square between 15:00 and 18:00.
at the Bank of Russia rate on 14.10.2026 · powered by tutkakdoma
Returns: how much you get back
If you return a ticket for a reason other than illness, the refund depends on how many days are left before the performance:
When you return it
How much you get back
10 days or more before
100% of the price
5–9 days before
at least 50%
3–4 days before
at least 30%
less than 3 days before
the theatre is entitled to refund nothing
E-tickets are returned by email to [email protected]: you need an application in the prescribed form (the form is on the theatre's website), a scan of your ID and a printout of the ticket. Box office tickets are returned in person at the box office on Teatralnaya Square between 15:00 and 18:00. If you bought from a distributor, you return it to them. A change of cast is not grounds for a refund. Returns due to illness follow a separate procedure: the application must be submitted no later than one hour before the start.
What to see in November 2026
The full schedule is in the November playbill. We have picked four notable evenings.
Swan Lake, historic stage, 2, 5 and 6 November at 19:00. Tchaikovsky's ballet with 1895 choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, in Konstantin Sergeyev's version. It runs 3 hours 10 minutes with two intervals, 6+.
Guillaume Tell, Mariinsky II, 5, 6, 17 and 18 November at 18:00. A new production of Rossini's last opera, with the premiere scheduled for 16 October 2026. It is directed by Giancarlo del Monaco. According to the theatre, this is the first time Tell has been performed in Russia in its original language, French, with simultaneous Russian surtitles. The performance runs 4 hours 10 minutes with two intervals, which is why it starts earlier than usual. 12+.
The Mariinsky II auditorium before a performance. Photo: Ludvig14, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Raymonda, historic stage, 19, 20 and 21 November at 19:00. Glazunov's grand classical ballet with Petipa's 1898 choreography. 3 hours 15 minutes with two intervals, 6+.
A Life for the Tsar, historic stage, 27 November at 19:00. The performance marks the opera's 190th anniversary: its world premiere took place on 27 November 1836. The Mariinsky Theatre opened with this same Glinka opera on 2 October 1860. The production is Dmitri Tcherniakov's from 2004, with the Polish act dances restored after the 1939 production. 4 hours 5 minutes, Russian surtitles, 12+.
If you want something shorter, look at the Concert Hall. On 2 November at 19:00 it is showing Rachmaninoff's The Miserly Knight, a production from this year (premiered on 22 April 2026). The opera lasts 1 hour with no interval, 12+.
Rules at the entrance and in the auditorium
Ticket. A box office ticket must be the original, on the theatre's official ticket stock. An e-ticket is shown as a PDF, printed or on a phone screen. The theatre is entitled not to accept photos and scans, and the scanner does not always read screenshots. Because of mobile internet outages, the theatre advises printing your ticket in advance.
Timing. The theatre opens an hour before the start, and the auditorium opens after the first bell. After the third bell you can no longer enter. An usher may offer a latecomer a free seat, and you can move to your own seat during the interval. For concerts in the chamber halls, entry opens 30 minutes before the start.
Cloakroom. You are not allowed into the auditorium in outdoor clothing, so you will have to check your coat. Food, drinks and flowers are not allowed in either. Give a bouquet to the ushers in advance and tell them who it is for: the flowers will be presented to the performers after the show.
No dress code. The theatre's rules do not specify one; only clothing that may stain is prohibited.
What to leave at the hotel. Suitcases and bags larger than 50×50×30 cm, scooters and musical instruments may not be brought inside. There are metal detectors at the entrance.
Filming. Taking photos and video during the performance is prohibited without the theatre's permission, and phones must be switched off.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I buy Mariinsky Theatre tickets without a mark-up?
On mariinsky.ru, at the theatre's box offices and from authorised distributors, whose list is published on the theatre's website. It is best to type the address in by hand: clone sites turn up in search ads.
Do I need a passport to get into the Mariinsky Theatre?
Only if the ticket is in your name. In that case you need a document that matches the full name on the ticket.
Can I show my ticket on a phone screen?
Yes, if it is a PDF bought on the theatre's website. Photos and scans may not be accepted, so it is safer to print the ticket.
Will I be let in if I am late?
After the third bell you cannot enter the auditorium. An usher may seat you in a free seat, and you can move to your own during the interval.
Which metro station is closest to the Mariinsky Theatre?
There is no station next to the theatre. For example, trolleybus No. 12 and several buses run from Sadovaya, Sennaya Ploshchad or Spasskaya to Teatralnaya Ploshchad. Teatralnaya station is not expected to open until 2030.
Facts checked on 13 October 2026 against the Mariinsky Theatre website mariinsky.ru (the pages "Where to buy tickets", "Named tickets", "Visitor rules", "Return policy", "How to get here", and the November 2026 playbill) and Rossiyskaya Gazeta. Photos: Voltmetro, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; Anton Nikiforov, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0; Ludvig14, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Cover photo: Зрительный зал исторической сцены Мариинского театра. Фото: Voltmetro, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2022-05-18_-_Panorama_of_Stalls_and_Boxes_at_the_Main_Mariinsky_Theatre.jpg)
