The Canadian Opera Company is adding standing room only spaces to its new home after a number of sell-out shows in recent years.

The Toronto-based company announced on Tuesday that it has installed standing room spots for up to 60 people, with tickets priced at $12 each.

"This is something practised in major opera houses throughout Europe and the U.S., and it's something that's always been a plan of the COC's," spokeswoman Vanessa Somarriba told CBC News.

"The great thing about standing room, it gives the performances that are completely sold out — for instance [Robert Lepage's] The Nightingale, where we had to add an extra performance and it went very quickly, too — this is a chance for people to catch those performances."

The spaces, featuring a bar to lean against, are located in designated areas behind the last seated row of the third and fourth floors.

They will be available on the day of the performance, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Some of the world's top opera houses offer standing-room only spaces for avid opera buffs with the stamina to stay on their feet through a performance, including New York's Metropolitan Opera, Milan's La Scala and London's Royal Opera.

The standing-room spots will make their debut at Ben Heppner's solo recital on Sept. 11 and when the COC fall season begins on Oct. 2 with Aida.