Fodor's Expert Review Grand Opera House

Fresh from a dazzling £12 million face-lift and just in time for its 125th anniversary, Belfast's opera house, which regularly hosts musicals, plays, and concerts, has been restored to its original 1890s glamour with a new auditorium and ornate boxes. Visitors can now appreciate the beauty of the plasterwork alongside repairs and repainting of decorative features such as elephant heads and the glorious ceilings devised by the renowned theater architect Frank Matcham in 1894. New purpose-designed seats have replaced the old cinema-style ones in use since the 1960s and stalls, circle crush bars, sound, lighting, sets, and scenery were all upgraded. An impressive new permanent display reflects many of the famous names who have taken to this stage including Laurel and Hardy and Luciano Pavarotti. The building, which had already achieved listed status for its architectural merit and is Northern Ireland's only remaining Victorian theater, now takes its place among the city's premier attractions.