Royal Opera House
Bow Street, London, WC2E 9DD
Royal Opera House Tickets
La Traviata
Royal Opera House
4.8 9 reviews 4.8 9 reviews Tickets from £328.00La 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.
- Booking until: Tuesday, 17 February 2026
- Running time: 3hr. Incl. 2 intervals.
- Playing at: Royal Opera House
- Booking until: Tuesday, 17 February 2026
Boris Godunov - Royal Ballet and Opera
Royal Opera House
5 1 review 5 1 review Tickets from £273.00Richard 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?
- Booking until: Wednesday, 18 February 2026
- Running time: 2hr 15min. No Interval.
- Playing at: Royal Opera House
- Booking until: Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Giselle - Royal Ballet and Opera
Royal Opera House
Tickets from £117.00Peter 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.
- Booking until: Friday, 20 March 2026
- Running time: 2hr 20min. Incl. 1 interval.
- Playing at: Royal Opera House
- Booking until: Friday, 20 March 2026
Rigoletto - Royal Ballet and Opera
Royal Opera House
4.8 5 reviews 4.8 5 reviews Tickets from £55.00One 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.
- Opens: Wednesday, 25 March 2026
Booking until: Thursday, 23 April 2026 - Running time: 2hr 35min. Incl. 1 interval
- Playing at: Royal Opera House
- Booking until: Thursday, 23 April 2026
Wayne McGregor: Alchemies - Royal Ballet and Opera
Royal Opera House
Tickets from £26.00Witness 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.
- Opens: Saturday, 18 April 2026
Booking until: Wednesday, 6 May 2026
- Playing at: Royal Opera House
- Booking until: Wednesday, 6 May 2026
Mayerling
Royal Opera House
Tickets from £42.00Kenneth 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.
- Opens: Monday, 30 March 2026
Booking until: Monday, 18 May 2026 - Running time: 3hr. Incl. 2 Intervals.
- Playing at: Royal Opera House
- Booking until: Monday, 18 May 2026
Peter Grimes
Royal Opera House
5 1 review 5 1 review Tickets from £41.00Deborah 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.
- Opens: Tuesday, 5 May 2026
Booking until: Thursday, 28 May 2026 - Running time: 3hr 30min. Incl. 2 intervals.
- Playing at: Royal Opera House
- Booking until: Thursday, 28 May 2026
Samson et Dalila - Royal Ballet and Opera
Royal Opera House
Tickets from £49.00Richard 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.
- Opens: Wednesday, 13 May 2026
Booking until: Wednesday, 3 June 2026 - Running time: 2hr 40min. Incl. 1 Interval.
- Playing at: Royal Opera House
- Booking until: Wednesday, 3 June 2026
La Fille Mal Gardee
Royal Opera House
5 2 reviews 5 2 reviews Tickets from £42.00Frederick 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.
- Opens: Saturday, 23 May 2026
Booking until: Tuesday, 9 June 2026 - Running time: 2hr 15min. Incl. 1 Interval.
- Playing at: Royal Opera House
- Booking until: Tuesday, 9 June 2026
So Are We: León & Lightfoot - Royal Ballet and Opera
Royal Opera House
Tickets from £26.00This 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.
- Opens: Thursday, 11 June 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 20 June 2026
- Playing at: Royal Opera House
- Booking until: Saturday, 20 June 2026
I puritani
Royal Opera House
Tickets from £55.00Richard 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.
- Opens: Tuesday, 30 June 2026
Booking until: Sunday, 19 July 2026
- Playing at: Royal Opera House
- Booking until: Sunday, 19 July 2026
La Fille du regiment
Royal Opera House
Tickets from £49.00Laurent 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.
- Opens: Tuesday, 7 July 2026
Booking until: Friday, 24 July 2026 - Running time: Ages 5+. Children under the age of five are not permitted into our theatres. Children over age five must have their own ticket and sit next to an accompanying adult.
- Playing at: Royal Opera House
- Booking until: Friday, 24 July 2026
La bohème (Royal Opera House)
Royal Opera House
5 2 reviews 5 2 reviews Tickets from £55.00Puccini'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.
- Opens: Wednesday, 1 July 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 25 July 2026 - Running time: 2hr 35min. Incl. 1 interval.
- Playing at: Royal Opera House
- Booking until: Saturday, 25 July 2026
Royal Opera House Facilities
- Air conditioned
- Bar
- Disabled toilets
- Infrared hearing loop
- Member of Q-Park scheme
- Restaurant
- Toilets
- Wheelchair/scooter access
Royal Opera House Location
Travel Information
Nearest Tube station
- Covent Garden
- Leicester Square
Nearest Rail Station
- Charing Cross
Tube lines
- Piccadilly
- Northern
Day buses
- (Aldwych) RV1, 6, 11, 13, 23, 59, 68, 87, 171, 172, 188, X68
Night buses
- (Aldwych) 6, 23, 188, N11, N13, N26, N47, N68, N87, N89, N155, N171, N551
Royal Opera House history
From the outside
The Royal Opera House is the impressive official home of the Royal Opera and Royal Ballet and features a striking pillared façade. Inside it is equally magnificent with its unusually deep stage, huge orchestra pit, horseshoe shaped seating and beautiful pale blue and gold ceiling dome.
Royal Opera House architecture and history
The Royal Opera House was built back in 1732, first named the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. Winning a coveted theatrical patent from the King, it was allowed to perform dramas, the only theatre at the time to do so apart from the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
It was built using the enormous profits from a particularly successful and popular production of The Beggar’s Opera. The composer Handel debuted many of his new musical compositions there during the 1700s and loved the venue so much he left his organ to the venue in his Will. Sadly, it was destroyed by a fire in 1808. And the piano forte, a revolutionary instrument of the times, was first heard at the Royal Opera House building in 1767.
Another fire caused considerable damage in 1857, after which the venue raised the costs of tickets to pay for restoration. This caused the famous Old Price Riots, which eventually led to entrance fees being put back down to reasonable levels!
In 1843, when the practice of restricting drama performances was finally lifted, it was renamed the Royal Italian Opera, translating many non-Italian operas into Italian. In the late 1890s it was finally renamed The Royal Opera House, adding operas from France and Germany to their repertoire.
During World War One the Royal Opera House was used as a furniture store. In the Second World War it played its part by hosting dances, as a public dance hall. After the Second World War the famous Sadler’s Wells Ballet company took over, in hand with the new Covent Garden Opera Company.
Restored beautifully at huge cost during the 1990s, today the Royal Opera House is one of the most popular performance spaces in London. It also houses a fascinating collection of operatic costumes and other collections, in an ambitious project to catalogue every single performance there since its opening in 1732.
Past shows at the Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House has staged every imaginable opera, from obscure oddities to household name operas like Carmen and La Boheme. It has also hosted stellar performances by The Mariinsky Opera, The Mariinsky Ballet, The Kirov Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, La Scala Ballet Company and any more.
Royal Opera House access
There are as many as 19 wheelchair spaces in the main auditorium, in the stalls circle, grand tier, balcony and upper amphitheatre. Plus at least one wheelchair space and companion seat for sale from 10am on the day of the performance.
Royal Opera House tickets
We’re a great destination for a wide variety of seat types and prices, with excellent availability on the full range of Royal Opera House tickets.