Opera, Dance and Ballet in London

English National Ballet's production of The Nutcracker has been enchanting audiences in London since 1950, and this year is no exception. Featuring over 100 dancers and musicians, watch as the classic fairytale bursts to life in the grand setting of the London Coliseum.

This Olivier Award-winning production returns for a 30th anniversary celebration at Sadler's Wells with Matthew Bourne's epic interpretation of Cinderella that reimagines the classic fairytale as a war-time romance. Cinderella falls in love with an RAF pilot during the Blitz in London, and what follows is a touching and thrilling story that pays tribute to the spirit of London during the war. With gorgeous set and costume designs and a powerful score that incorporates the sounds of wartorn London, it's a thrillingly immersive production that has enchanted audiences since it premiered thirty years ago.

Roald Dahl's beloved children's book comes to life on the stage in this dazzling new production starring musical theatre icon and beloved British entertainer Michael Ball as the eccentric, enigmatic Willy Wonka. Young Charlie Bucket wins a golden ticket to visit Wonka's magical chocolate factory and embarks on the adventure of a lifetime into a world where inventions defy imagination and every room holds a delicious surprise. Featuring much-loved songs from the 1971 film adaptation, this musical will be a joy for anyone who grew up with the book and wants to introduce their young ones to Dahl's story.

Kenneth MacMillan’s devastating and powerful 1974 ballet comes to life onstage, set to Jules Massenet’s score. In the seedy underbelly of 18th century Paris, Manon finds herself torn between the steadfast love of Des Grieux and the temptations of wealth and luxury. MacMillan’s work has enchanted and awed audiences with its nuanced understanding of human psychology, and now it’s your chance to experience this timeless, devastating story of hedonism and desire.

Liam Scarlett's spectacular production brings classical ballet's most iconic story to life with the story of a princess cursed to be a swan and the prince who's determined to save her. Tchaikovsky's epic story of star-crossed love, passion, and deception has captured imaginations all over the world, and now you can experience his most famous and beloved work once again with this beautifully choreographed ballet, featuring jaw-dropping set and costume designs.

Equal parts fairy tale, farce, and moral allegory, The Magic Flute is arguably Mozart's most popular opera. This thrilling, visually stunning, and epic tale takes the classic story of a prince on a quest to rescue a princess and packs it with deep philosophical themes and marvellous, powerful music that will resonate deeply with you.

Damiano Michieletto brings Bizet’s electrifying, sensual opera about jealousy, obsession and desire to life, conducted by Sesto Quatrini. The fiercely independent Carmen, one of opera’s most memorable heroines, seduces the respectable Don José, but soon finds herself the victim of his jealousy and possessiveness when her affections start to wander. The second-most performed opera in The Royal Opera’s repertoire, Carmen has remained immensely popular over the years for its heady combination of passion, sensuality and violence.

Ancient Rome comes to the beautiful candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse as Julius Caesar kicks off Shakespeare's Globe's winter season. Joe Hill-Gibbins (Ghosts, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse) returns to direct Shakespeare's brutal and timely tale of friendship, betrayal and political violence, staged for the first time ever in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. In this classic Roman tragedy, the ambitious dictator Caesar's growing power causes his allies to turn against him in a murderous plot, but public opinion quickly turns against them, giving way to bloody civil war.

The National Theatre's acclaimed production of Ballet Shoes is coming to Sadler's Wells in the summer, with the heartwarming, uplifting story of the Fossil sisters. Adopted by their eccentric Great Uncle Matthew, Pauline, Petrova, and Posy face the challenges of growing up while trying to figure out what they want to be in life. Strictly Come Dancing's Anton Du Beke stars in this dazzling adaptation of the beloved children's book by Noel Streatfeild, an inspiring story of sisterhood and following your dreams.

This mixed programme features Jerome Robbins's Dances at a Gathering and Kenneth MacMillan's Song of the Earth. Experience the music of masters like Chopin and Mahler through parallel performances, each packed with stunning choreography, exploring the profundity of human connection and community, and the transience of life and death, with two performances that present starkly contrasting but equally exquisite visions of humanity.

Director Philipp Stölzl makes his Royal Opera debut with this playfully surreal new production of Verdi's gripping, passionate opera based on a real historical royal assassination. Consumed by desire for his best friend's wife, King Gustavo is warned of his impending death by a fortune teller. Experience a tangled web of passion and treachery, prophecy and politics told through a visually stunning and emotionally resonant opera. 

The team behind the 2025 production of Three Sisters, Caroline Steinbeis and Rory Mullarkey reunite as director and translator for Chekhov's timeless story of ambition and desire, inspired by Shakespeare's Hamlet. In this outstanding piece of Russian drama, the lives of four individuals intersect on a rural estate when Konstantin Treplev, a brooding young experimental playwright, falls deeply in love with a local ingenue named Nina, who finds herself drawn to Konstantin's mother Arkadina's lover Boris. What follows is a thrilling psychological drama.

Lovers, mothers, and gold-diggers clash in this spectacular trio of Puccini's operas, which explore jealousy, shame, and betrayal. Olivier Award winner Richard Jones directs, and Speranza Scappucci conducts this triptych of some of Puccini's finest works, filled with tragedy and comedy, set to distinct but complementary musical motifs. Experience the rare treat of watching this triptych of operas as Puccini meant for them to be experienced: together.

Puccini's Tosca is a story of love, murder, and political intrigue, in which the fierce heroine Floria Tosca must use all her wits to rescue her lover, the painter Cavaradossi, from the cruel police chief Scarpia. Puccini's operatic thriller will take your breath away with its intense storytelling, powerful score, and unforgettable characters in the heart of Rome.

Olivier-nominated director Jaz Woodcock-Stewart (Paradise Now!, Bush Theatre) makes her Globe directorial debut with Shakespeare's rarely performed masterpiece. This is one of Shakespeare's least performed plays but remains a fascinating exploration of the harsh realities of power and politics, in which King John takes the throne after the death of his beloved brother and finds his rule challenged on all sides. 

The London Palladium's beloved festive tradition returns this Christmas with a brand-new panto retelling of Cinderella: the magical rags to riches fairytale that we all know and love, told with several cheeky, delightful twists. This fabulous, funny, and outrageous retelling stars Julian Clary as the Fairy Godfather, alongside iconic comedy duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders reuniting onstage as the ugly stepsisters. Get ready for a one-of-a-kind festive treat with this sassy panto, filled with spectacular costumes, dazzling special effects, and lots of laughter.

A comic opera in two acts composed by British-Russian Elena Langer, this exuberant black farce is based on Nikolai Erdman's twice-banned 1928 play The Suicide, in which a man's suicide is due to be broadcasted life on television - but what happens when he changes his mind? Darkly funny and clever, it is a satire about our fixation on fame, and the shameless exploitation for profit, entertainment and voyeurism of other people's misery, all which feel deeply relevant to our modern world.

Adapted from Lars von Trier's multi-award-winning 1996 film of the same name, Missy Mazzoli's Breaking the Waves follows a married couple navigating a strange new reality in the wake of the husband's debilitating accident. This hauntingly beautiful story, packed with psychological depth, explores the nature of love and a test of faith, set to a hypnotic and utterly unique score from one of the most influential composers of the modern age.

In this bold, clever new play by one of the UK's leading playwrights, Timberlake Wertenbaker, humanity is called to the negotiating table by the animals demanding an end to exploitation and ecological destruction. Bringing together politics, wit, philosophy and mischief in an audacious experiment about stepping into someone else's shoes, this is an urgent, timely, and unflinching response to the crisis facing our planet, told in a delightfully creative way.

After sold-out seasons around the world, BIG Live's hit gothic ballet production of Dracula is returning to London in 2027. Get ready for a dark, cinematic reimagining of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, set to breathtaking choreography by Joel Burke and a powerful score led by Emmy Award-winning composer Jason Fernandez that incorporates many iconic pieces of classical music. Gorgeous production design, hauntingly beautiful music, and an epic story of forbidden love, immortality, and sacrifice come together to give you a bold and stirring take on the story of Dracula.

Frederick Ashton was one of the most influential dance figures of the 20th century, and now you can experience three of his milestone works created over three decades. This eclectic mixed programme celebrates the diversity of his works, his choreographic imagination and exquisite craft, each one characterised by Ashton's wit, charm, and elegance. Book now to experience some of the great works of the master craftsman who defined British ballet.

Wayne McGregor brings to life Margaret Atwood's powerful dystopian trilogy in this multi-sensory three-act epic, in which Earth has been irrevocably changed by a bio-engineered apocalypse and an unlikely gang of survivors must navigate this dangerous new reality. Featuring an original score by Max Richter, this uniquely imagined ballet explores themes of extinction, invention, hubris and humanity in an electrifyingly urgent, visceral, and prophetic story that holds up a mirror to our world.

From the great and influential composer Kaija Saariaho comes a powerful but rarely staged opera, Adriana Mater, a harrowing exploration of war, redemption, and motherhood. Left pregnant after an assault by a soldier, Adriana struggles to raise her son to resist the temptations of revenge and break the cycle of violence. In this collaboration between Artistic Director Annilese Miskimmon and Music Director Designate André de Ridder, inspired by war correspondent Amin Maalouf's experiences, witness a moving story that feels urgently relevant to our times.

John Caird's award-winning stage adaptation of the beloved Studio Ghibli film returns to the stage in 2028. Join Chihiro on an adventure into the spirit world, filled with unforgettable, larger-than-life characters, like the terrifying Yubaba and the eerie No-Face, in this whimsical tale from the great storyteller Hayao Miyazaki. Jaw-dropping puppets bring the colourful spirits of Spirited Away to life, while a live orchestra plays Joe Hisaishi's iconic score from the original film. Don't miss your chance to see this one-of-a-kind story when it returns to London.

From the award-winning and visionary New York artist Taylor Mac, accompanied by the Philharmonia Orchestra, comes a breath-taking journey through the soul of America, a concert experience that reimagines history as a dazzling, deeply personal musical experience, spanning 240 years of American history. Part orchestral concert, part performance art, this provocative, celebratory show is filled with extraordinary costumes and irreverent humour, and challenges audiences to reconsider whose stories are told and how we listen to them.

Richard Jones's intimate, stripped-back staging is a bold and beautiful take on Janáček's classic opera about a young woman in a loveless marriage who embarks on a passionate love affair. Jakub Hrůša adapts the Czech composer's gorgeous score, infusing it with traditional Czech folk melodies. This Olivier Award-winning staging is a vivid and modern portrait of psychological turmoil that breathes new life into this timeless opera.

Matthew Bourne's double Olivier Award-winning Play Without Words is returning to London for its 25th anniversary. This wordless dance-theatre piece explores the psychological dynamic between a wealthy couple and their new manservant, exploring sex, class, and power struggles purely through physical storytelling, set to an atmospheric and jazz-infused score.

Hosted and curated by Jonzi D, Breakin' Convention is the world's biggest festival of hip hop theatre. Featuring jaw-dropping performances, live DJs, dance workshops, graffiti, emcees, and spontaneous cyphers, it's a soulful celebration of community, identity, and all things London. Experience some of the most talented artists from around the world, plus a taste of the next generation, in a raw, electrifying fusion of movement, spoken word, rap, and grime. Perfect for all hip hop lovers, whether you're old school or new school.

Rambert's new dance work is inspired by Russell T Davies's critically acclaimed Channel 4 TV series about the lives of young gay men during the AIDS epidemic. Rambert's talented dancers bring this visceral and devastating story of love, friendship, and defiance to life, weaving together past and present. If you loved the TV series, you won't want to miss this fresh and unique take on a vibrant and powerful story told through movement.