Royal Opera House

Royal Opera House on Bow Street is one of the world's leading lyric theatres and the London home of two great companies, The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet, now presented together as Royal Ballet and Opera. The present building, opened in 1858, is the third theatre to stand on the site, designed by Edward Middleton Barry after fire destroyed its predecessors. Behind its Corinthian portico sits a horseshoe auditorium of around 2,250 seats, richly decorated in red, gold and cream.

A major redevelopment completed in 1999 transformed the house without touching its historic auditorium, adding new stages, rehearsal studios and the glass-roofed Paul Hamlyn Hall, the restored Victorian Floral Hall that now serves as its grand foyer. A further remodelling, opened in 2018, made the building far more open to the street, with a public cafe, terrace and box office that welcome visitors during the day rather than only at performance time. The intimate Linbury Theatre downstairs stages smaller-scale and new work alongside the main programme.

Royal Opera House Covent Garden: the programme

The season runs through most of the year and spans full-scale opera and ballet, classical and contemporary dance, recitals, family events and cinema relays broadcast to venues worldwide. Tickets span a wide range of prices, with day tickets, Friends' priority booking and access performances offered on many productions.

What to expect on a visit

The building is open daily from noon and closes after the evening performance, or at 11pm Monday to Saturday and 9pm on Sunday when there is no show. The box office is open Monday to Saturday from noon until the start of the evening performance or 6pm, and on Sundays with performances it opens 90 minutes before curtain up. Standing beside the Piazza and the old flower market, the house is a two-minute walk from Covent Garden Underground station. Guided tours and dining are available, and other Covent Garden theatres including the Lyceum Theatre are a short stroll away.