The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. Originally called the Theatre Royal, it served primarily as a playhouse for the first hundred years of its history. In 1734, the first ballet was presented. A year later, Handel's first season of operas began. Many of his operas and oratorios were specifically written for Covent Garden and had their premieres there.
The current building is the third theatre on the site following disastrous fires in 1808 and 1857. The façade, foyer, and auditorium date from 1858, but almost every other element of the present complex dates from an extensive reconstruction in the 1990s. The Royal Opera House seats 2,256 people and consists of four tiers of boxes and balconies and the amphitheatre gallery. The proscenium is 12.20 m wide and 14.80 m high. The main auditorium is a Grade 1 listed building as noted by Theatres Trust.
Royal Opera House, London
Get involved with shows at Royal Opera House, London:
- Twelfth Night, or What You Will is holding auditions: in Random Location 4 from 16:00 to 16:00 on Sat 20th Apr - more details
- Twelfth Night, or What You Will is holding auditions: in Random Location 31 from 19:00 to 19:00 on Mon 22nd Apr - more details
- Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark is holding auditions: in Random Location 25 from 16:15 to 16:15 on Sun 28th Apr - more details
- My Fair Lady is looking for: Publicist, Sound Designer, Set Designer, Producer, Costume Designer - more details
- Hedda Gabler is looking for: Master Carpenter, Publicity Designer, Lighting Designer, Technical Director - more details
- Titus Andronicus is looking for: Sound Designer, Costume Designer - more details
- Beauty and the Beast is looking for: Lighting Designer, Publicity Designer, Publicist, Director, Sound Designer, Production Manager, Producer, Technical Director, Costume Designer - more details
- Hedda Gabler has announced: Random text 62 - more details
- Uncle Vanya has announced: Random text 92 - more details
- Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark has announced: Random text 74 - more details
News
Royal Opera House, London
23:46 on 12th April
Royal Opera House, London has some great news! We're performing Much Ado About Panto.
Royal Opera House, London
22:30 on 7th April
Royal Opera House, London is excited to announce Surviving St John's.
Shows
- Sun 21 Jul
- Mon 22 Jul
- Tue 23 Jul
- Wed 24 Jul
- Thu 25 Jul
- Fri 26 Jul
- Sat 27 Jul
- Sun 11 Aug
- Mon 12 Aug
- Tue 13 Aug
- Wed 14 Aug
- Thu 15 Aug
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- Sat 24 Aug
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- Mon 16 Sep
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- Sat 21 Sep
- Sun 19 Jan
- Mon 20 Jan
- Tue 21 Jan
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- Thu 23 Jan
- Fri 24 Jan
- Sat 25 Jan
- Sun 26 Jan
- Mon 27 Jan
- Tue 28 Jan
- Wed 29 Jan
- Thu 30 Jan
- Fri 31 Jan
- Sat 1 Feb
- Sun 29 Mar
- Mon 30 Mar
- Tue 31 Mar
- Wed 1 Apr
- Thu 2 Apr
- Fri 3 Apr
- Sat 4 Apr
- Sun 12 Apr
- Mon 13 Apr
- Tue 14 Apr
- Wed 15 Apr
- Thu 16 Apr
- Fri 17 Apr
- Sat 18 Apr
Past shows
See all the shows that have been performed here at the venue history page.