Best seats · Belfast
Best seats at the Grand Opera House Belfast - Stalls to the Gods
By The MyCritik editorial team · information checked on 15 October 2026 · 3 min read
Before you pick a seat, look up. Frank Matcham's 1895 auditorium is the best surviving example in the UK of the oriental style in theatre design, according to the Theatres Trust: elephants, gods and stars, all restored in a £12.2 million project finished in 2020. With about 1,058 seats on four levels, nowhere is very far from the stage. The question is which compromise suits you.
The layout of Grand Opera House
- Stalls
- The ground floor, step-free. Mid-Stalls rows give you faces and voices for plays; the pit rows are very close, so you look up.
- Grand Circle
- The first floor, rebuilt in 2020 with better sightlines and legroom.
- Upper Circle and the Gods
- Second and third floors. The Gods are steeper and higher, but the whole stage picture is in front of you, on a budget.
- Think twice
- The far ends of the circles for big musicals: they look across the stage and can lose a corner of the set.
- Our pick
- The front rows of the Grand Circle, in the centre.
The four levels
The theatre names them like this:
- Stalls: the ground floor, step-free from the foyer. For some shows, up to two pit rows are added at the front, over the orchestra pit, with cushioned seats and armrests.
- Grand Circle: the first-floor mezzanine, with its reinstated Grand Circle Bar.
- Upper Circle: the second floor.
- The Gods: the third floor, the top of the house.
Our picks
Centre Grand Circle, front rows. The 2020 work rebuilt the rake of the Grand and Upper Circles to the 1896 arrangement, with better sightlines and legroom, and swapped 1960s cinema seats for cast-iron, velvet ones.
Stalls for plays. Mid-Stalls rows give you faces and voices. The pit rows are very close: generous legroom, but you look up at the stage.
Avoid the far sides of the circles for big musicals. The circles curve round towards the stage, and seats at the ends look across it rather than at it, so you can lose a corner of the set.
The Gods on a budget. Steeper and higher, but the whole stage picture is in front of you, and the heritage exhibition timeline is in the Gods foyer.
Boxes for an occasion. Box packages include drinks and snacks, and boxes are the only place in the auditorium where you may drink alcohol; wine comes in a shatterproof carafe.
Access
There are 11 wheelchair spaces: nine in the Stalls and two in the Upper Circle, plus two in The Studio, the theatre's second space. A new, larger lift serves every floor, doors to the auditorium are wider and hold open, and there is a loop system throughout. The theatre runs captioned, audio-described, signed and relaxed performances; customers with access needs can join the free Access for All scheme. Booster seats for children are available at the auditorium doors, first come, first served.
Frequently asked questions
What are the levels at the Grand Opera House Belfast?
Four: the Stalls on the ground floor, the Grand Circle (first floor), the Upper Circle (second floor) and the Gods (third floor). Some shows add up to two pit rows at the front of the Stalls.
What are the pit seats at the Grand Opera House?
Up to two extra rows at the front of the Stalls, over the orchestra pit, which is raised to Stalls level. They are very close to the stage, with good legroom.
Where are the wheelchair spaces at the Grand Opera House?
Nine in the Stalls, reached step-free from the foyer, and two in the Upper Circle by lift. Tell the box office you need a wheelchair space when you book.
How many seats does the Grand Opera House Belfast have?
About 1,058, across four levels. The theatre also has a smaller second space, The Studio.