5G at the Opera: enhancing live performances in Düsseldorf

Have you ever been to the opera and wanted to know more about the plot or the actors? Or perhaps how the composer came up with the original idea, or what's going on in the orchestra pit during the performance?

Using 5G and Augmented Reality (AR), we can now give audiences this kind of insight and information during live performances.

Digital delights at the Opera

Working with Düsseldorf Opera House, Vodafone Germany is using AR to digitally expand new production "Die tote Stadt" by Erich Wolfgang Korngold.

At each performance, Augmented Reality glasses from the manufacturer NReal can be borrowed free of charge. These glasses are lightweight and offer superior comfort, so that the audience can happily wear them throughout the show.

More importantly, they will display complementary digital content and expand the perspectives of the stage during the performance.

For example, the audience will be able to get background information on the plot, biographies of the actors, as well as benefit from animated digital overlays of the stage.

In addition, visitors can choose from several camera perspectives and take a closer look into the orchestra pit, among other things.

Content on demand

This is all made possible thanks to Vodafone's 5G network, to which the AR glasses are connected via a smartphone.

With great reliability and super-fast speeds, data is transferred in near real-time, meaning information is visible on the glasses’ screen almost instantly.

The information on the glasses can be shown and hidden at any time and can be controlled through slight head movements. Content is also available "on demand", giving viewers a choice in what information they see, with subtitles displayed so they can read along.

Appealing to new audiences

This is just one example of how immersive technology could be used to enhance live experiences.

Working with the Bundesliga in Germany, we’ve been transforming the way we broadcast live sport, and, in the future, we hope to expand this opera use case to ballet performances too, using digital offerings as a way to attract new audiences.

The premiere of ‘Die tote Stadt’ is on 16^th April 2023, with further performances with the digital opera glasses taking place in April and May.