opening night

American

noun

the first performance of a theatrical attraction, taking place in the evening.

The audience was full of celebrities on opening night.

Etymology

Origin of opening night

First recorded in 1805–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

During a month of rehearsals before opening night, Mykkanen made exercising and walking through Central Park part of his ritual to escape from the opera's dark themes.

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

How about Australia, winners on opening night against Taiwan?

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

The venue's general manager resigned on the planned opening night after the troubled opening.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

Philadelphia 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe came through as honorary coach Vince Carter's Team Vince triumphed Friday in the Rising Stars Challenge on the opening night of NBA All-Star Weekend.

From Barron's • Feb. 14, 2026

It’s a week before opening night, and we’re performing Oliver! twice in full costume during the school day: freshmen and seniors in the morning, and juniors and sophomores in the afternoon.

From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023