AbstractGrand opéraoccupied a prominent but fraught position in the life of New Orleans in the 1830s, where it became a focus for debates surrounding contemporary cultural and political issues. In 1835, the city’s rival theatres – one francophone, the other anglophone – raced to give the first performance of Giacomo Meyerbeer’sRobert le diable, bringing tensions between their respective communities to a head. This article exploresRobert’s arrival in New Orleans, arguing that the discourses that grew up first around this work and laterLes Huguenotsprovided a means through which opposing linguistic and cultural factions within the city could negotiate their local, national and international identities.