26 December 2025
Newsdesk
The Royal Ballet and Opera (RBO) has unveiled a 2026 season defined by high-stakes premieres and the return of iconic classics. With tickets starting from just £9, the upcoming year at Covent Garden promises accessibility alongside world-class artistry.
The Royal Ballet: From Woolf to New Worlds
The season opens with Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor’s award-winning Woolf Works (17 January – 13 February). This triptych captures the stream-of-consciousness brilliance of Virginia Woolf through a haunting Max Richter score. Following this is the quintessential Romantic masterpiece, Giselle (14 February – 20 March), in Peter Wright’s definitive 1985 production.
The spring highlights the Alchemies triple bill (18 April – 6 May), featuring the world premiere of a new McGregor work set to music by Bushra El-Turk. The program is rounded out by the poetic Yugen and the stark, powerful Untitled, 2023, a collaboration with the late minimalist Carmen Herrera. Closing the ballet season, So Are We (11–20 June) marks the historic first time a British company has performed the work of acclaimed duo Sol León and Paul Lightfoot, including their stirring Shoot the Moon.
The Royal Opera: Wagnerian Epics and AI
Opera enthusiasts can look forward to the "Siegfried" chapter of Wagner’s Ring cycle (17 March – 6 April). Conducted by Antonio Pappano and directed by Barrie Kosky, the production features the highly anticipated Royal Opera debut of Andreas Schager. For those who cannot make it to the House, a live cinema screening will be held on 31 March.
Other mainstage highlights include Oliver Mears’ darkly elegant Rigoletto (25 March – 23 April), led by Mark Elder in his 50th year of conducting at the ROH, and Richard Jones’ new staging of I puritani (30 June – 19 July) starring Lisette Oropesa.
The Linbury Theatre remains a hub for innovation with a chilling new production of Britten’s The Turn of the Screw and the Jette Parker Artists’ showcase of three women composers. Perhaps most intriguing is the RBO/SHIFT festival (4–7 June), which explores the intersection of opera and artificial intelligence.
Book your tickets now at rbo.org.uk.
