WHAT'S ON AT THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE, LONDON
What's On at the Royal Opera House, London
The Royal Opera House, also known as The Royal Ballet and Opera, is home to The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet. It originally opened in 1732 but is the third building on this site. Within two years of opening, Handel’s operas were being performed. Many were specifically written for the venue and had their premiere there.
The Royal Opera House is the third largest auditorium in London with a seating capacity of 2’256. As well as operas and ballets, the venue hosts behind the scenes tours, open rehearsal events, family days, recitals, summer schools, afternoon teas, and tea dances. Originally opened as a playhouse, the venue performed pantomimes and plays and even became a dance hall during the Second World War.
The Royal Ballet and Opera is also home to The Paul Hamlyn Hall, the main public area often used for events, conferences, dances, exhibitions, concerts, and workshops. The Linbury Studio Theatre has a capacity of 400 and is a flexible theatre space. Events to look forward to include A Single Man, Tosca, The Magic Flute, Little Red Riding Hood, and The Nutcracker. Book your tickets online below for The Royal Opera House.
The Royal Opera House, also known as The Royal Ballet and Opera, is home to The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet. It originally opened in 1732 but is the third building on this site. Within two years of opening, Handel’s operas were being performed. Many were specifically written for the venue and had their premiere there.
The Royal Opera House is the third largest auditorium in London with a seating capacity of 2’256. As well as operas and ballets, the venue hosts behind the scenes tours, open rehearsal events, family days, recitals, summer schools, afternoon teas, and tea dances. Originally opened as a playhouse, the venue performed pantomimes and plays and even became a dance hall during the Second World War.
The Royal Ballet and Opera is also home to The Paul Hamlyn Hall, the main public area often used for events, conferences, dances, exhibitions, concerts, and workshops. The Linbury Studio Theatre has a capacity of 400 and is a flexible theatre space. Events to look forward to include A Single Man, Tosca, The Magic Flute, Little Red Riding Hood, and The Nutcracker. Book your tickets online below for The Royal Opera House.
Most Popular Shows and Events at Royal Opera House, London
Royal Ballet - The Nutcracker
Royal Opera House
Thu 3 Dec 2026 - Wed 13 Jan 2027
Royal Opera House Behind the Scenes Tour
Royal Opera House
Tue 28 Apr - Fri 31 Jul 2026
Royal Opera House Family Sundays
Royal Opera House
Sun 10 May - Sun 14 Jun 2026
Open Rehearsals for Friends of Covent Garden
Royal Opera House
Sat 2 May 2026 - Sat 10 Jul 2027
HerStory of the Royal Opera House Tour
Royal Opera House
Sun 24 May - Sat 18 Jul 2026
What's On at the Royal Opera House, London
Alcina
Royal Opera House, London
Tuesday 15 September - Saturday 3 October 2026
Richard Jones?s Olivier Award-winning production of Handel's opera returns with many of the original cast, including Emily D?Angelo as the lovestruck Ruggiero and Lisette Oropesa as the glittering enchantress Alcina.? ...Parsifal
Royal Opera House, London
Thursday 1 - Saturday 17 October 2026
Can one man heal a broken society? A bold new production by Evgeny Titov features a stellar cast including Stanislas de Barbeyrac, Ekaterina Gubanova, Christian Gerhaher and Brindley Sherratt. Jakub Hr??a conducts. ...Manon
Royal Opera House, London
Tuesday 13 October - Wednesday 25 November 2026
A life of luxury... or love? Manon?s inner turmoil and struggle for survival lie at the devastating heart of Kenneth MacMillan?s 1974 ballet, set to Jules Massenet?s score and featuring Nicholas Georgiadis?s designs. ...4.48 Psychosis
Royal Opera House, London
Saturday 17 - Sunday 25 October 2026
An unflinching portrait of fury and despair. Ted Huffman's stark and stripped-back staging of Philip Venables's opera makes its debut on the Linbury Stage. Conductor Naomi Woo draws out the moments of clarity, anguish and fleeting h...Royal Opera - Carmen
Main Stage
Thursday 29 October - Saturday 21 November 2026
Damiano Michieletto's searing production returns, casting a new light on the lust, violence and passion of Bizet's ever-popular opera. Following its premiere in the 2023/24 Season, Damiano Michieletto's 'simmering, naturalistic' (Guardian) ...Visionaries: Robbins and MacMillan
Royal Opera House, London
Monday 9 - Saturday 28 November 2026
Two profound meditations on humanity, community and connection. This mixed programme features Jerome Robbins?s Dances at a Gathering and Kenneth MacMillan?s Song of the Earth. ...Un ballo in maschera
Royal Opera House, London
Monday 30 November - Friday 18 December 2026
A murderous affair. Director Philipp St?lzl makes his Royal Opera debut with a playfully surreal new production, featuring costumes by Antony McDonald. Charles Castronovo, Malin Bystr?m, Aleksei Isaev, Anita Rachvelishvili and Kseniia Nikol...Royal Ballet - The Nutcracker
Main Stage
Thursday 3 December 2026 - Wednesday 13 January 2027
Light up your Christmas with Peter Wright's enchanting production of The Nutcracker. Peter Wright's production of The Nutcracker has been enchanting children and adults alike since its first performance by The Royal Ballet in 1984. Julia...Stay Tuned
Royal Opera House, London
Friday 11 - Saturday 19 December 2026
Kammerballetten, the refreshing Danish dance company at the forefront of contemporary dance, present Stay Tuned, a collection of chamber ballets by Sol Le?n and Paul Lightfoot. In the intimate space of the Linbury Theatre, immerse in pure m...The Magic Flute
Royal Opera House, London
Sunday 13 December 2026 - Wednesday 17 February 2027
An enchanting musical quest for love and freedom. Dalia Stasevska and Julia Jones conduct two exciting casts in David McVicar?s five-star production of Mozart?s beloved family-favourite opera.? ...Götterdämmerung
Royal Opera House, London
Thursday 21 January - Sunday 7 February 2027
Director Barrie Kosky situates this rich apocalyptic drama in a contemporary world of dream-like turmoil. Antonio Pappano leads a cast headlined by Elisabet Strid, Andreas Schager and Mika Kares, who, with the full forces of the Orchestra o...Good Sometimes Queen
Royal Opera House, London
Saturday 23 - Friday 29 January 2027
Ola Ince directs a new staging of two dramatic song cycles drawn from Elizabethan sources by Brett Dean. Lotte Betts-Dean and Jennifer France star in this new work of theatre exploring the fates?of Mary, Queen of Scots and Shakespeare?s Oph...Landmarks: Unmissable Ashton
Royal Opera House, London
Monday 25 January - Friday 19 March 2027
Three milestone works created over three decades ? experience the choreographic imagination of Frederick Ashton.?This mixed programme comprises Les Rendezvous, Symphonic Variations and Daphnis and Chlo?.?? ...Così fan tutte
Royal Opera House, London
Wednesday 10 - Sunday 28 February 2027
Netia Jones reimagines Mozart?s comedy of manners through a sharp contemporary lens, where 18th-century romantic trickery meets deeply satirical high-tech deceit. Louise Alder, Simone McIntosh, Mingjie Lei and Huw Montague Rendall are the f...MADDADDAM
Royal Opera House, London
Monday 22 February - Saturday 13 March 2027
Those who remain must find a new way of life. The dystopian future of Margaret Atwood's trilogy of novels comes alive in this multi-sensory three-act epic by Wayne McGregor. Featuring an original score by Max Richter, MADDADDAM sold out...Les Boréades
Royal Opera House, London
Thursday 4 - Sunday 14 March 2027
A defiant queen and meddlesome gods. R.B. Schlather directs a new production of Rameau?s most brilliant opera ? the first work by the French composer to be performed at Covent Garden by The Royal Opera. Camille Delaforgue conducts a stellar...Il trittico
Royal Opera House, London
Friday 5 - Thursday 18 March 2027
Director Richard Jones updates Puccini?s triptych to the years following World War II, focusing on themes of class, morality and mortality. Speranza Scappucci conducts three casts featuring Natalya Romaniw, ?tienne Dupuis, SeokJong Baek, Er...Káťa Kabanová
Royal Opera House, London
Monday 22 March - Saturday 10 April 2027
A storm of longing. Richard Jones?s intimate, stripped-back staging beautifully realises Jan??ek?s opera of yearning and destruction, which stars Corinne Winters. Jakub Hr??a draws out the expressive lines of the Czech composer?s score, whi...Mergaliyev Classical Ballet - Swan Lake
Royal Opera House, London
Saturday 27 March - Monday 31 May 2027
Swan Lake is arguably the world's most popular ballet, and a timeless tale. Prince Siegfried falls in love with Odette, Queen of the Swans, only to be tricked into betraying her by the wicked von Rothbart and his daughter Odile. The thrilli...The Rite of Spring + Duke Bluebeard's Castle in Concert
Royal Opera House, London
Friday 2 April 2027
For one night only, Music Director of The Royal Opera Jakub Hr??a and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House present a concert of Stravinsky's scandalous The Rite of Spring and Bart?k's?blood-red thriller Duke Bluebeard?s Castle, st...Royal Opera - Tosca
Main Stage
Monday 12 April - Wednesday 5 May 2027
The splendour of Rome. The devastation of war. Puccini's operatic thriller returns in an epic new production.  Anna Netrebko and Aleksandra Kurzak share the title role, starring alongside Freddie De Tommaso and Gerald Finley in a thrilli...International Draft Works 2026
Royal Opera House, London
Monday 12 - Wednesday 14 April 2027
New works made by emerging choreographic voices are presented by The Royal Ballet, together with various international companies. ...La Gioconda
Royal Opera House, London
Thursday 29 April - Tuesday 18 May 2027
Raised in poverty, street singer Gioconda has always craved security. But now she craves something more. Oliver Mears's new staging transports the action to modern-day Venice. Antonio Pappano conducts a star cast including Anna Netrebko...Disruptors: Tanowitz Junker Khan McGregor
Royal Opera House, London
Thursday 6 - Tuesday 25 May 2027
Think you know ballet? Think again. This mixed programme features Pam Tanowitz?s Or Forevermore, Joshua Junker?s Never Known, Akram Khan's Hunting a Whisper in the Wind and Wayne McGregor?s Chroma. ...Aida
Royal Opera House, London
Wednesday 19 May - Saturday 12 June 2027
Love and duty collide as nations clash. Verdi?s sharply relevant opera of love and war returns, with Angel Blue and Ivan Gyngazov as the doomed lovers. Michele Mariotti conducts.? ...Hercules
Royal Opera House, London
Friday 18 June - Friday 9 July 2027
Human weakness. Divine destruction. The Royal Opera's Handel series continues with Barrie Kosky's new production. Laurence Cummings conducts Anthony Robin Schneider, Paula Murrihy, Mingjie Lei, Mary Bevan and Avery Amereau. ...Royal Opera - Madama Butterfly
Main Stage
Sunday 4 - Saturday 24 July 2027
Eternal longing for a love lost in Puccini's devastating opera. A standout triple cast includes Elena Stikhina, Hrachuhi Bassenz and Asmik Grigorian as the innocent and idealistic Cio-Cio-San and Saimir Pirgu, SeokJong Baek and Joshua Guerr...Elektra
Royal Opera House, London
Monday 12 - Saturday 24 July 2027
Grief turns into a violent quest for revenge. Christof Loy?s nuanced contemporary production returns for its first revival since its 2024 premiere, with Ausrine Stundyte in the murderous title role. Conductor Semyon Bychkov draws out the fi...How to get to the Royal Opera House, London
Royal Opera House Frequently Asked Questions
Bow Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DD
The Royal Opera House does not have its own car park. On street parking is limited with disabled bays available on Bow Street and Floral Street.
You can receive 30% off by pre booking at the Intelli Park Car Park on Drury Lane.
Tube - Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Tottenham Court Road
Bus - Aldwych, Drury Lane, Leicester Square Station
The seating capacity of The Royal Opera House is 2'256.
You can visit their seating plan.
For further information on tickets at the Royal Opera House, you can visit their returns and refunds page, or their attending a performance page.
The Royal Opera House box office is open:
12 noon - 6pm, or until the start of an evening performance.
Alternatively, you can see what's on and book online here.
It is open Monday - Saturday.
On performance Sundays, it will open 90 minutes before the performance begins.
For individual shows and concerts, if the timing is not listed under our 'more info' tab for that particular event, you check it out via the 'more info' tab for your show here.
You can fin more information on accessibility at the Royal Opera House via their accessibility page.
Whether you have positive or negative feedback you would like to pass on to the Royal Opera House, you can email them .
If you lose an item during your visit to the Royal Opera House, email them with a description of your item an the date and performance / time of your visit. They keep items for one month.
Either use the map at the side of the FAQ section as it has all types of accomodation or click here for accommodation near the Royal Opera House.
Food and drink are not permitted into the Royal Opera House. However you may take in a none glass reusable water bottle and fill it with water inside the building.
Late arrivals may need to wait in the foyer for a suitable break in the performance. This could be up to 90 minutes. Performances start promtly.
Click here for some great places and ideas for food whilst in London.
For further information and support regarding your visit to the Royal Opera House, you can visit their visitor information or visit their help centre.
Please note that LondonTheatres.com isn't the venue itself. We promote what's on at the Royal Opera House and all other venues in London and the local region. Feel free to contact us if you need more help though and we'll do our best to support you.
Most Popular Shows and Events at Royal Opera House, London
Royal Ballet - The Nutcracker
Royal Opera House
Thu 3 Dec 2026 - Wed 13 Jan 2027
Royal Opera House Behind the Scenes Tour
Royal Opera House
Tue 28 Apr - Fri 31 Jul 2026
Royal Opera House Family Sundays
Royal Opera House
Sun 10 May - Sun 14 Jun 2026
Open Rehearsals for Friends of Covent Garden
Royal Opera House
Sat 2 May 2026 - Sat 10 Jul 2027
HerStory of the Royal Opera House Tour
Royal Opera House
Sun 24 May - Sat 18 Jul 2026
