Opera, Dance and Ballet in London

The perfect introductory ballet for children aged three and upwards, the English National Ballet presents a magical, family-friendly version of Cinderella, featuring an enchanted forest and a heroine on a journey to find herself through her love of music and nature. Performed by students of the English National Ballet School Graduate Artists Programme and featuring narration, dance, and music, this is the perfect family outing to get your young ones to fall in love with ballet.

The beloved British musical comes home after strutting its way across the UK on a sell-out tour in 2025! Starring Strictly Come Dancing’s Johannes Radebe and featuring music and lyrics by pop icon Cyndi Lauper, this story of the unlikely team-up between a shoemaker and a drag queen is sure to leave a smile on your face.

Join TUTU on a hilarious journey where incredible dance skills and inventive parody intertwine seamlessly. Choreographed by Philippe Lafeuille, this playful new perspective shatters stereotypes and makes dance accessible to all.

Noel Streatfeild's beloved story about three orphaned sisters pursuing their dreams returns to the National Theatre following a critically acclaimed run in 2024. Hailed as "a superlative adaptation that never puts a foot wrong" (Evening Standard), this enchanting production is the perfect family treat.

King of Tango German Cornejo and his spectacular dance company return to present a night of authentic Argentine tango and a score that celebrates the legacy of the great tango composer Astor Piazzolla. Ten world class dancers and a live orchestra of musicians and singers come together to spin a story of passion, desire, and drama, told through one of the most irresistible dance forms.

Mozart's classic Italian comedy about swapped fiancees and the games we play in love is transported to Coney Island in the 1950s. Phelim McDermot's revival of Cosi Fan Tutte is a rollercoaster of fun, flair, and wit, told through a sparkling score full of unforgettable melodies.

The greatest hits of opera in one night; this is a show for everybody – from opera buffs to those who don’t know their Aida’s from their arias.

La Traviata is one of Verdi's most famous operas, telling the tragic story of the romance between the doomed courtesan Violetta and the romantic Alfredo. Inspired by history, with a timeless story that will leave you in tears, and a powerful, moving score full of the most well-known operatic melodies, this is a must-watch for all opera lovers.

One of Verdi's most famous operas returns to London, in an elegant production by Oliver Mears and conducted by Verdi specialist Mark Elder. Telling the story of the hunchbacked jester Rigoletto, who tries to protect his daughter Gilda from the attentions of his philandering master, the Duke of Mantua, it's a thrilling story of corruption, power, and murder, told through a breath-taking score and a series of complex characters you won't be able to forget.

Woolf Works pays tribute to the unique artistic spirit of Virginia Woolf through a genre-defying, experimental ballet triptych that recreates stories from three of her novels. Choreographer Wayne McGregor brings these unique stories to life through a series of breath-taking contemporary dance performances.

British choreographer Matthew Bourne's dance production tells the story of a small-town Italian-American community whose lives are changed when a handsome, dangerous stranger walks into their diner. With a passionate, high-energy score by Terry Davies and inspired by Bizet's iconic opera, Carmen, The Car Man will sweep you off your feet and into a sizzling American epic.

Choreographer Crystal Pite, and choreographer and commercial dancer Kameron N Saunders come together to bring you a one-of-a-kind evening of performance, which blends multiple forms from dance to spoken word to create an intimate, powerful experience that explores the complexities of human existence, from bereavement to finding your authentic self. Featuring a score performed by English National Ballet Philharmonic, this will be an unforgettable experience for lovers of dance.

Witness the works of Wayne McGregor, one of the leading trailblazers in the world of modern dance, with this mixed programme that celebrates his creativity, imagination, and passion for ballet. From Yugen, inspired by American composer Bernstein, to Untitled, 2023, a collaboration with minimalist artist Carmen Herrera, to the premiere of a brand new ballet by McGregor, these performances will inspire and enchant ballet lovers and newcomers alike.

Frederick Ashton’s joyful ballet is a love letter to the countryside, a light-hearted pastoral tale about a battle of wills between Lise and her mother over the question of marrying for love or for money. This whimsical, humourous ballet features dancing chickens, a dizzying ribbon dance, clog-dancing and an adorable Shetland pony, making it a comic masterpiece that will leave you smiling long after you've left the theatre.

Step into the dreamy, wooden, candlelit space of the Sam Wanamaker Theatre, where for the first time Shakespeare’s Globe and Headlong bring to the stage this magical, chaotic story of tricksy fairies and confused lovers.

Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s visually stunning and ambitious production of The Sleeping Beauty arrives on the Royal Albert Hall stage for the first time. In this dazzling, bewitching spectacle, witness the classic fairy tale come to life, full of gorgeous sets, costumes, choreography, and a score that will take your breath away.

Jamie Manton directs Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s gripping, beautiful opera about three fugitives in a desert boomtown where dreams come true, told through a rich score that blends opera and jazz in a truly unique cultural and musical experience.  

Richard Jones's critically acclaimed staging of Mussorgsky's epic opera returns to London, conducted by Mark Wigglesworth and starring Bryn Terfel. Capturing a crucial and turbulent moment in Russian history, it chronicles the rise and fall of Tsar Boris Godunov as he confronts vengeful ghosts, his own guilt, and the rise of a usurper who threatens his throne. How far will he go for power?

Peter Wright's production brings to life composer Adolphe Adam's enchanting, tragic ballet about the titular Giselle, who kills herself after learning her lover is promised to another, joining a ghostly army of vengeful, wrathful jilted women. Visually stunning, with a sweeping story of love and betrayal, this haunting, timeless ballet is a quintessential piece of the Romance genre.

From Scottish Ballet comes a visually stunning, powerful new ballet in which the dying Queen Elizabeth I is haunted by the ghost of her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots. With choreography and a set that combine classicism and modernity, as well as a jaw-dropping original score, this is a bold and clever take on an iconic piece of British history and two formidable queens.

Laurent Pelly's larger-than-life production returns with Donizetti's heartwarming comic opera about a tomboy raised by an unconventional military family as she searches for her happily ever after. Packed with catchy, military-style tunes, this witty, laugh-out-loud bel canto opera conducted by Yves Abel will sweep you away into a light-hearted adventure in the Tyrolean alps.

Puccini's classic opera returns to the stage with this heartbreaking and heartwarming story of love, friendship, and loss in Paris at Christmastime. Richard Jones bring to life one of the most enduring, popular, and influential operas in the world, filled with beloved characters and a rich, evocative score. A perfect first opera for newcomers and a cherished favourite of long-time opera lovers.

Don't miss the UK premiere of Chadwick Boseman's lyrical epic, in which a young woman grieves the death of her fiance at the hands of police brutality. Inspired by a true story, this powerful play combines Shakespearean lyricism with hip-hop in a truly one-of-a-kind theatrical experience directed by Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu in his Globe directorial debut.

Kenneth MacMillan's psychologically thrilling 1978 ballet reimagines the story of a real-life scandal in the Austro-Hungarian court, where the death-obsessed Crown Prince Rudolph begins a clandestine affair with the beautiful, morbid Baroness Mary Vetsera, leading to a devastating murder-suicide. Dark desires, family secrets, and political intrigue come together in this searing exploration of the darkest parts of the human psyche.

Richard Jones's stunning new staging of Vicenzo Bellini's last ever opera will sweep you away into the tragic love story of Elvira, a Puritan, and Arturo, a Royalist, whose wedding day spirals into tragedy in the wake of misunderstandings, madness, and treason, leading to the ultimate test of faith. This emotionally profound and ethereally composed opera stars Lisette Oropesa stars as the devoted Elvira and Francesco Demuro as the courageous Arturo.

This landmark event brings the groundbreaking work of Sol Leon and Paul Lightfoot to new audiences with this Royal Ballet premiere. This mixed programme by the critically acclaimed Spanish/British contemporary choreographic duo presents two parallel performances that explore isolation, relationships, and a love for dance, through a blend of fluid, stirring choreography and stories of yearning and passion.

Deborah Warner's (Billy Budd, Wozzeck) stunning contemporary staging of Benjamin Britten's bleak, harrowing opera returns to the Royal Opera with the story of Peter Grimes, a fisherman driven to madness after the death of his apprentice causes his community to turn against him. Opera lovers will be thrilled and moved by this psychologically complex, atmospheric story of alienation and exile, set to a powerful score.

Richard Jones's energetic, sophisticated staging of Camille Saint-Saëns's grand opera, in this biblical epic that retells the story of the love affair between the superhumanly strong Samson and the Philistine temptress Dalila. Alexander Soddy conducts this harrowing story of temptation, betrayal, and a trial of faith, set to an instantly recognisable and powerful score that will enthrall both seasoned opera lovers and newcomers.

Globe Director of Education Lucy Cuthbertson and Splendid Productions' Kerry Frampton and Ben Hales team up for a brand new original play for the Globe Theatre's magical summer season. Perfect for the whole family, it follows a boy named Cass, who invents a rich imaginary world of adventuring and heroism, inspired by his grandmother's love for Shakespeare. Don't miss this whimsical and heartwarming celebration of the joy of storytelling.