Opera Shows to See in London in 2026

La Fille du Régiment at the Royal Opera House

The cast of LA FILLE DU REGIMENT. Image courtesy of production.

Gaetano Donizetti was a leading composer of the bel canto (beautiful singing) opera style of the 19th century. In Laurent Pelly's larger-than-life production, this heartwarming comic opera sweeps you away to the rolling Tyrolean Alps, where feisty tomboy Marie has been raised by the soldiers of the 21st regiment ever since they found her as a baby. This frothy story combines a light-hearted story about first love and found family with buoyant melodies such as Marie's stirring regimental song 'Chacun le sait' (Everyone knows) and Tonio's all-time tenor showstopper, 'Ah! Mes amis' ('Ah, my friends').

La Fille du Regiment Tickets

I Puritani at the Royal Opera House

Lisette Oropesa in I PURITANI. Image courtesy of production.

Italian composer Vicenzo Bellini was another central figure of the bel canto era, and I Puritani was his last ever opera. Richard Jones’s stunning new staging brings this powerful, emotionally profound opera to life with a story about the tenderness of love and the anguish of loss in a world defined by conflict and divisions. In the aftermath of the English Civil War, Elvira, a Puritan, falls in love with Arturo, a Royalist, but their love story is thrown into peril when Arturo abandons their wedding day to rescue a Royalist prisoner and faces execution. Blending melancholy with fiery lyricism, this opera is packed with virtuosic coloratura passages and ethereal, otherworldly arias that will immerse you into its heartrending story.

I Puritani Day Tickets

Peter Grimes at the Royal Opera House

The cast of PETER GRIMES. Image courtesy of production.

Benjamin Britten was a leading British composer, conductor, and pianist of the mid-20th century, and his work is considered to be among the finest of English operas. Deborah Warner’s stunning contemporary staging of this brooding opera paints a searing picture of the tragic conflict between individual and society, and the perils of isolation and alienation. In this bleak parable, fisherman Peter Grimes becomes an outcast in his community when he’s blamed for the death of his apprentice. The pressure of social exclusion drives him to madness and Peter escapes to the sea. Filled with emotional richness, technical complexity, psychological depth, and atmospheric intensity, Peter Grimes is filled with thrilling arias such as 'Now the Great Bear and Pleiades.'

Peter Grimes Tickets

La Boheme at the Royal Opera House

The cast of LA BOHEME. Image courtesy of production.

Giacomo Puccini was regarded as one of the greatest and most influential composers of Italian opera, and La Boheme is one of his most famous, timeless, and memorable operas. If you’re a fan of the beloved rock opera musical RENT, you’ll recognise the story: in Paris, penniless poet Rodolfo falls in love with the beautiful and fragile Mimi, who’s battling a fatal illness, and introduces her to his world of dreamy, artistic young bohemians. Richard Jones brings to life this tragic, soaring story of friendship, resilience, and artistry in this colourful, dynamic staging. With its soaring love duets, intimate arias, and poignant laments, featuring classics such as 'Si, mi chiamano Mimi' ('Yes, they call me Mim') and Musetta's 'Quando m'en vo' ('When I go along'), it’s no surprise that La Boheme is one of the most frequently performed operas at the Royal Opera House.

La Boheme Tickets

Samson et Dalila at the Royal Opera House

The cast of SAMSON ET DALILA. Image courtesy of production.

Camille Saint-Saens was one of the pioneering composers of French opera who bridged the gap between the differing musical worlds of Romanticism and Modernism. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Samson et Dalila, his grand retelling of the biblical story of Samson and Delilah. In this tale of passion, faith, and temptation, Samson, a Hebrew leader known for his superhuman strength, is seduced and betrayed by Dalila, a Philistine woman, causing both his physical and spiritual faith to be tested. Richard Jones's vibrant, electric staging of this biblical epic stars SeokJong Baek and Aigul Akhmetshina in a performance that will thrill audiences with its powerful, harrowing take on a familiar story, featuring unforgettable arias such as Dalia's seductive 'Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix' (Softly awakes my heart).

Samson et Dalila Tickets

HMS Pinafore at the London Coliseum

The cast of HMS PINAFORE. Image courtesy of production.

Dramatist W.S Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan made up the Victorian-era theatrical partnership known as Gilbert and Sullivan, and this duo was responsible for some of the most recognisable operas in history. Packed with absurd characters, unforeseen plot twists and a delightfully farcical finale, HMS Pinafore is a satirical take on the British class system, in which Josephine, daughter of Captain Corcoran, falls for the lowly sailor Ralph Rackstraw and is torn between love and duty to her family. Cal McCrystal’s revival of this nautical comedy is laugh-out-loud funny, mischievous, and energetic, starring ENO-favourite and Gilbert and Sullivan expert John Savournin as Captain Corcoran. This quintessentially British opera features some of the most operatic music in the world, such as ‘Never Mind the Why and Wherefore’.

HMS Pinafore Tickets

Boris Godunov at the Royal Opera House

The cast of BORIS GODUNOV. Image courtesy of production.

Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky was an innovative composer of the Romantic period, one of five Russian composers known for their nationalist tendencies as the ‘the Five’. Boris Godunov is a classic example of his epic, psychologically complex work, in which the newly crowned Tsar Boris Godunov is haunted by the memory of his bloody rise to power, including the murder of a nine-year-old prince. As his sanity unravels, a young man claiming to be the lost prince Dmitry leads a rebellion to seize his throne. This thrilling story of war, ambition, and power is inspired by the Time of Troubles in Russia during the 1600s.

Boris Godunov Tickets

Rigoletto at the Royal Opera House

The cast of RIGOLETTO. Image courtesy of production.

Dubbed ‘the Shakespeare of Opera’, Verdi was another of the great Italian composers, known for his lyricism and emotional intensity, and Rigoletto is one of his most famous operas. Oliver Mears’ darkly elegant staging brings to life this modern morality play about power and innocence in a world of decadence and corruption. Rigoletto is a jester to the womanising Duke of Mantua and a doting father to his daughter Gilda, but his two lives come into conflict when the Duke decides he wants to pursue Gilda. When he kidnaps her, Rigoletto embarks on a journey of revenge that will lead him to a tragic conclusion. A devastating meditation on power, Rigoletto has endured throughout time for its harrowing story, complex characters, emotionally rich themes, and unforgettable score.

Rigoletto Tickets

It’s the perfect time to immerse yourself into the magic of opera, with its breath-taking spectacle, epic stories, and unforgettable music. So whether you’re in the mood for a light-hearted, frolicking romance or a heartbreaking tragedy or a thrilling political epic, take your pick from one of these dazzling, powerful shows and get ready to be amazed and enchanted.