How to Buy Tickets for the Mariinsky Theater and to Avoid Scams

The Mariinsky (or Mariinskii) Theater is a historic opera and ballet theater in Saint Petersburg. Founded in 1860, it became the main theater in the 19th century Russia.

During the Soviet times, it was known as the Kirov Theater.

Today, the theater is a center of performing arts – opera, ballet, concerts. It expanded from the historic old Mariinsky Theater to the new stage at Mariinsky II and the modern Concert Hall.

Here are some tips for buying tickets for the Mariinsky performances and avoiding fraud.

There are only three official ways to buy tickets for the Mariinsky performances:

Official website
The theater’s box offices
Authorized resellers

the Official Website of the Mariinsky Theater

The official website for the Mariinsky in Saint-Petersburg is www.mariinsky.ru.

As the Mariinsky Theater has branches in Vladivostok and Vladikavkaz, these theaters have their own ticketing websites https://prim.mariinsky.ru/en/ and https://alania.mariinsky.ru/en/, which will sell tickets for their local performances.

Be careful to select the right official website.

Avoid any clone websites. There have been cases of people creating a .com or other websites to resell tickets at higher prices.

As many popular shows are often sold out, it is recommended to buy tickets well in advance. The theater releases its playbill for 6 months periods.

You can print your Mariinsky Theater online tickets or show them on your phone screen.

If you are a non-Russian tourist, you have to select the Full price. Special tariffs are reserved for the Russian citizens and foreigners working in Russia.

When selecting the show, please pay attention to the venue. As mentioned above, there is the Mariinsky Theater – the historic building, Mariinsky II – modern new theater, and Concert Hall. These are three different venues in Saint Petersburg.

If you always dreamt of seeing the interior of the old Mariinsky, only choose the Mariinsky Theater venue when buying tickets.

List Of Authorized ticket resellers for the Mariinsky Theater

Board of Theatre and Performance Box-Offices
https://www.bileter.ru/

Kassir RU
https://www.kassir.ru/

M-SB
https://maximilian.ru/

Sofit-Promo
https://biletsofit.ru/

Ticket Best
https://afisha.yandex.ru

As found on the Mariinksy Theater website.

The Mariinsky Theater Box Offices

At the Mariinsky Theatre

1 Theatre Square

Daily from 11.00 to 19.00

At the Mariinsky II

34 Dekabristov Street

Daily from 11.00 to 19.00, closed between 14.00 and 15.00

At the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre

20 Pisareva street (entry from Dekabristov, 37)

Daily from 11.00 to 19.00, closed between 14.00 and 15.00

At the service centre of the Central Railway Ticket Office

24 Griboedov Canal Embankment, ground floor

The box-office does not undertake the return of tickets.

At Bolshoi Gostiny Dvor

Corner of the Nevskaya and Prinnaya Lines, mezzanine level corner of the Nevskaya and Perinnaya Lines, mezzanine level
(until 14.00 entry is only possible via the gallery of the 1st floor of Bolshoi Gostiny Dvor).

Daily from 11.00 to 19.00, closed between 14.00 and 15.00.

The box-office does not undertake the return of tickets.

The box office clerks speak only Russian most of the time. Ask your Russian friends or people in the queue to help you.

Other contact information for the box offices:

+7 (812) 326-4141

tickets@mariinsky.ru

Other Ticket Resellers

I have come across several offers on Viator and GetYourGuide where you are offered tickets for the Nutcracker or the Swan Lake on the day of your visit.

These could be legit, however, read the small font. Since the Swan Lake does not play every day at the Mariinsky, the organizers might take you to another theater or replace it with a different show.

If you don’t mind, it could be a good option to see Russian ballet.

Check the official playbill of the Mariinsky Theater here.

Buying Tickets before the Show

1 hour before the start of a show ticket sales on the Theatre’s website stop and may only be purchased directly from the theatre’s box-offices.

If the show is sold out, you can try your luck and buy a ticket from a reseller in from of the theater or someone selling a spare ticket (Lishnij Bilet). However, be careful to not overpay but checking the official price on the website.

The Mariinsky Theater Seating Plan

Enjoy the show!