An Apple Vision Pro Seating Station at a Parisian Opera House

Typically at an opera house, the only thing patrons are looking through are opera glasses. But at Paris’ historic Palais Garnier, they’ve got Apple Vision Pro headsets on offer. This month the opera house launched a VR experience called “Dans les pas d’une Étoile” (“In the footsteps of a Star”), which lets visitors follow ballet star Bleuenn Battistoni through backstage spaces that are typically off-limits to the public. To view it, visitors sit at a circular banquette that has been outfitted with aluminum arms holding Apple Vision Pro headsets. The film was shot in 180°, and the headsets allow the viewer to swing their heads around, focusing on what they like. “This immersive experience gives audiences access to spaces and moments that are not usually shared,” says Alexander Neef, General Director of the Paris Opera. “Through spectacular viewpoints and unprecedented proximity to the artists and the many crafts of the Opera, it invites everyone to discover the Palais Garnier from an entirely new perspective.” The elegant viewing station, which is fabricated out of aluminum, was designed by Paris-based industrial designer Tom Ducarouge.