The Csokonai Theatre is a Romantic-style opera house built in 1865 and named for the eighteenth-century poet Mihály Csokonai Vitéz, a Debrecen native. The pale ochre exterior with its arched portico and the gilt-and-red interior are both worth seeing — guided tours run during the day when there is no rehearsal, and tickets for opera or theatre performances are remarkably cheap by Western European standards.
The repertoire mixes Hungarian classics with international opera and contemporary drama. Even without a ticket, walking past at night when the foyer is lit is one of the prettier evening sights in the city.