Varna Opera House occupies a magnificent building in the Empire style. It is considered one of the most beautiful in the city. The popularity of the Varna opera can only be compared with the Sofia, which still remains in first place in Bulgaria.

The official opening of the theater in Varna was held August 1, 1947. The first director of the theater was Stefan Nikolaev, as well as the artistic director of the eminent Bulgarian tenor Peter Raichev. The troupe immediately started to work: the young director Ruslan Raichev (with the assistance of choirmasters and Mladenov Manolov, artists Popova and Mishina) staged the first performance - Smetana opera "The Bartered Bride". Later, the theater has included in its repertoire performances of various genres, covering not only impressive part of the opera heritage XVIII-XIX centuries, and contemporary authors.

In the course of expanding the boundaries of creativity and attract a new audience, the troupe of Varna Opera has added to the repertoire of operetta. Mostly, it was the classic productions of Offenbach, Strauss, Lehar. Also, the creative team has been actively working on productions of contemporary musicals and children's plays.

The theater troupe has participated in many pan-European theater and opera festivals and competitions ("Varna Summer", "Opera in the open air theater"). Toured the Varna Opera House happened to many: Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Ukraine, Italy, Spain, Greece, India, Romania, Egypt, Switzerland, Germany, Austria. Special prestige theater was used when in Varna began to come to tour the famous opera singers (Nicolai Ghiaurov, Anna Tomova-Sintova Mary Koreli Nicola Guzel, Peter Glosop and others).

In 1999, the Varna Opera, on the orders of the Minister, combined with the Varna Philharmonic. Subsequently, the two government agencies began to act as a single Institute of Culture - Opera and Philharmonic community of Varna.

Since 2010, the Opera and Philharmonic Commonwealth combined with the dramatic theater "Stoyan Bachvarov". Last retains its name, but united before the opera and Philharmonic converted to Varna State Opera.