Help Centre

The best way to book tickets is on our website. Use our What's on page to see performances, dates and times and to book tickets. Tickets are issued as e-tickets which you can access at any time via the Tickets tab in your Royal Opera House account. We encourage you to show ushers your tickets via a mobile device, but you can also print your own ticket at home if you prefer.

Our annual Season runs from September to July the following year. The next Season is announced in the Spring. Tickets are sold in four booking periods: Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer. Booking dates appear on the production or performance page or the event you are interested in. Members of the Royal Opera House have early access to ticket booking, depending on their membership level.  

Christmas performances are included in our Autumn booking period. 

You can find ticket availability for every performance next to each event date on the 'Buy tickets' page. For some popular performances and events, the website can show availability even when tickets are limited or already sold out. We recommend that you check the seat map for each performance for accurate ticket availability. For events with unreserved seats, it will not be possible to add tickets to your basket if they are sold out.

If an event is marked as 'sold out' on our website, we unfortunately do not have any tickets currently available. Any returned tickets are made available immediately to purchase online. We recommend checking back regularly for returns. We do not offer a waiting list. The majority of returns are processed and sold more than 24 hours before the performance or event, so we do not recommend visiting the theatre on the day of the performance to buy tickets.

Last minute tickets are available through Friday Rush. Tickets for the following week are released every Friday at 1pm.

E-tickets are available to download immediately from the Tickets tab in your Royal Opera House account. They are also automatically sent to your email address five days before the performance. You can forward or send your tickets to others – you do not need to inform us. You will need to show your e-ticket to our ushers on a mobile device. You can also print your tickets at home if you prefer.

Join our free Access Scheme to book accessible seating or wheelchair space options in our auditoria and event spaces. Email [email protected] or telephone +44 (0)20 7304 4000 for pricing and availability information, to book tickets or to register. Find out more about Accessibility at the Royal Opera House. We encourage anyone with access needs to join our free Access Scheme. This gives you personalised assistance through the booking process, as well as other benefits including free companion tickets if it is essential that you are accompanied during performances. You can fill in the form digitally via your Royal Opera House account or print it out and fill it in by hand, before emailing or posting it to us.

A Royal Opera House membership is a great way to get access to tickets before they go on sale to the general public. Members can also buy tickets to rehearsals and get access to Insight and behind-the-scenes events. Find out more about Friends' Rehearsals. For more information on becoming a Friend of Covent Garden, visit the membership area of our website.

Returns and exchanges can only be processed by the Royal Opera House directly. You can return tickets for account credit up to 24 hours before your original scheduled performance start time via the Tickets tab in your Royal Opera House account. The Royal Opera House charges an administration fee of £4 per ticket to process any changes. We do not offer refunds. Please check the Terms and Conditions page of our website for full details.  

To return tickets for account credit:

1. Log into your Royal Opera House Account and find the tickets you would like to return in the 'Upcoming events' section of the Tickets tab.
2. Click 'Manage your booking' on the tickets you would like to return.
3. Choose which tickets to return by ticking the check boxes and confirm cancellation.
4. Your account credit will appear in the Transactions tab of your account, minus any administration fees. You will also receive an email confirmation.

Some tickets cannot be exchanged:

• Tickets with a value of £4 or less. This ticket value can be donated to the Royal Opera House.
• Tickets for rehearsals. This ticket value can be donated to the Royal Opera House.
• Companion tickets for access customers.

If you wish to cancel tickets of this type please email the box office with the order number and the details of the seats that you wish to return.

In some cases we can offer a resale service for tickets returned less than 24 hours before a performance or event starts. You can email the box office with the order number and the details of the seats that you wish to return. We will then place your ticket(s) up for resale. Read more about the terms and conditions of resale.

If you are unable to attend a performance, you can give your ticket to a friend or family member by forwarding or sharing the ticket with them. You do not need to inform us. Tickets must not be sold on in any way, as per our Terms and Conditions of Sale.

Information about account credit, including value, redemption codes and expiry dates can be found in the the Transactions tab of your account. All account credit is valid for three years from the date of issue. You can redeem account credit when purchasing tickets through our website. If you have account credit, you will see an option to pay by credit in the checkout.

You can buy a e-gift certificates to gift someone an experience at the Royal Opera House. E-gift certificates can be redeemed against ticket purchases or membership. They are valid for 36 months. They cannot be used at the Royal Opera House Bar and Restaurants, or in the Royal Opera House Shop.

E-gift certificates can be personalised with a message and an image. They will be emailed directly to the recipient or to you on a date of your choice. They can be redeemed online or in person. We cannot offer physical gift certificates at this time.

We offer a range of ticket deals to give more people access to performances at the Royal Opera House:

• Young ROH – The Young ROH scheme gives 16–25 year olds access to £30 tickets for some of our most popular performances. We reserve £30 Young ROH tickets for most performances on our Main Stage across the Season.
• Friday Rush – Friday Rush tickets are released every Friday at 1pm. They include tickets for Main Stage performances for the following week, until the next Friday Rush.
• Tickets for schools – We host regular Schools' Matinees in which teachers and their students can book tickets for to watch a performance on our Main Stage. Email the Schools' Matinees team to register your interest.
• Tickets for groups – We do not currently offer special ticket prices for groups. Groups are defined as ten people or more. Tickets for groups are available from the first day that general booking opens by contacting the Box Office by telephone. Payment must be made as a single transaction with one lead booker named on the ticket. We cannot take requests in advance of general booking. We can hold reservations for a maximum of three weeks (unless the performance is taking place within four weeks of the reservation). Reservations will be put to resale if not paid by two weeks before the performance. Returned tickets for group bookings are subject to our regular terms and conditions.

You Royal Opera House account can be found in the top right hand corner of the website homepage. Here you can find information about your tickets, Stream subscription, membership, transactions and marketing preferences.

You can update your personal details and your marketing preferences at any time in your Royal Opera House account.

We recommend trying the following actions:

• Try using a different browser (for example Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Safari)
• Try using a different device (for example, a desktop computer, tablet or mobile phone)
• Try using 'incognito mode' in Google Chrome

On busy booking days we experience high traffic to the website and processes may take longer than usual. We recommend:

• Returning to the website later in the day
• Waiting a little longer for your email confirmation
• Waiting up to an hour before trying to access your tickets through your account.

We offer a variety of accessible performances, including British Sign Language (BSL) interpreted, relaxed performances and audio described performances. You can find which suits your needs best and how to book access tickets by reading the details on the access page of our website.

In the 2024/25 Season there are two family-friendly performances: Hansel and Gretel on Sunday 22 December 2024 at 2pm and Cinderella on Tuesday 31 December 2024 at 1pm. We encourage families to bring children over the age of 5. Some of the House rules are relaxed for family-friendly performances; audiences will be allowed to leave and re-enter the auditorium during the performance, if necessary. It is likely that there will be an increase in movement and noise from the audience during these performances.

The running times and interval times are dependent on the production you attend. You can find all the information for each performance, including running times, on the individual production page of each show, which you can access via the What's on page and clicking 'More info'.

Some running times and interval times change as rehearsals progress, particularly for new productions and productions by visiting companies. We endeavour to provide the most accurate times that we can and will do so as soon as possible on the production pages on our website. Timings are also available on our digital cast sheets.

Principal casting for both opera and ballet performances can be found in our production pages. We endeavour to provide casting at the earliest opportunity, once confirmed. 

Digital cast sheets are available on the day of the performance, from three hours before the performance start time where possible. 

As with all live theatre, there is always the possibility that casting may change. When a cast does change, we will update our website and digital cast sheets as soon as possible.

We are unable to offer refunds for changes in casting. 

We welcome children aged five and above into our performances. They must have their own ticket and sit next to an accompanying adult. Younger children are welcome at specific family events, family productions and some of our tours. These events will be clearly marked in the 'guidance' section of our event pages.  

There is no formal dress code. We want everyone to feel comfortable and able to engage with what is happening on stage, and so we encourage audiences and visitors to wear whatever they feel comfortable wearing. We only ask that you are fully clothed and that your feet and torso are covered. 

Reusable, foldable opera glasses are available for purchase in the shop on the ground floor for £4 and can be used at any performance. We also sell commemorative opera glasses in the shop or via our online shop.

We encourage you to purchase programme vouchers at the same time you are purchasing your tickets online, to save you time when at the venue. If you have not purchased a voucher, you can buy a programme on the day from one of our ushers, from the Box Office counter and from the Shop. 

Only refreshments purchased on the premises may be consumed and no food or drink may be taken into the Auditoria, except bottled water and ice creams Water bottles can be filled at any of our water fountains around the building. We ask that you do not bring glass bottles into the auditorium for safety reasons. Food and drinks bought at our bars must be consumed before entering the auditoria. Interval drinks can be pre-ordered upon arrival at the Royal Opera House by visiting any of our bars. 

The use of cameras and recording equipment is strictly forbidden during performances. Mobile devices should not be used at any time during a performance.

You can purchase programme vouchers at the same time you are purchasing your tickets online. This will save time when you are attending a performance. If you have not purchased a voucher, you can buy a programme on the day from one of our ushers, from the Box Office counter or from the Shop. 

We have many tours available at the Royal Opera House. You can find information and book tickets for our current tours on the What's On page. You can find out more information, as well as how to book private tours on our Tours Information page. The Royal Opera House is a large building with lengthy corridors and many stairs. Tours involve walking and standing for the duration of the tour. Where possible, certain stops in the tour will happen where visitors can sit down, but this cannot be guaranteed. We can alter routes to make tours accessible for wheelchair users, those with reduced mobility or those with any other access needs. Please contact our Access team after you book your tour and we will make the necessary arrangements. 

The Royal Opera House is at the heart of Covent Garden, with entrances into the building from Bow Street and from the Covent Garden Piazza. The Stage Door is located on Floral Street, at the side of the Royal Opera House. We recommend travelling to the Royal Opera House by public transport. You can travel here by tube, train and bus, details of which you can find on our Visitor Information page. While we recommend booking a taxi in advance, you should be able to catch a taxi from outside the Royal Opera House or from The Strand nearby. Please see more details on how to get to the Royal Opera House. 

There are three performance spaces within the building: the Main Stage Auditorium (which is our largest theatre) the Linbury Theatre and the Clore Studio. We also have several bars and restaurants located around our building, and a café on the ground floor. Our staff will help direct you to the correct place when you arrive, or you can follow signage. All spaces can be accessed by any of our entrances into the building. 

There is step-free access to the Royal Opera House from our main entrance on Bow Street, the entrance at the corner of Floral Street (around performance times) and from the Covent Garden Piazza entrance. All our entrances have power-assisted doors. There is also step-free access to all restaurants, bars, and front of house areas. Assistance dogs are welcome everywhere in the Royal Opera House. Please speak to a member of staff for more information.

Bicycle stands are located around Covent Garden. We cannot accept bicycles (including folding bicycles), e-scooters and e-unicycles, even if folded, so please do not bring those into the building. 

The Royal Opera House is open Monday to Saturday from 12noon until after the evening performance. If there is not an evening performance we close at 10pm (Monday to Saturday) or 6pm on Sunday. The Royal Opera House Shop is open from 12noon and closes at the start of the evening performance, or at 6pm, each day. Our restaurants, bars and café are open at various times. You can find their opening times on our Restaurants, Bars and Café page.

The Royal Opera House shop is located just inside our Piazza entrance, which you can access via the Covent Garden Piazza. The shop is open Monday to Saturday from midday until the start of the evening performance, and on Sundays when there is a performance. You can also order online through our online shop.

You can bring a small bag and coat and keep it with you during your visit. However, if you are attending a performance, only bags and coats that can be placed under your seat or comfortably on your lap will be admitted. Larger bags and backpacks need to be checked into our complimentary cloakrooms. Our cloakrooms are open for customers from two hours before for a performance and also for customers attending a tour. All visitors to the Royal Opera House are subject to bag searches on entry. We may carry out in-depth bag searches at random. Please make this possible by opening your whole bag for the security officer.

We cannot store pushchairs, e-scooters or e-unicycles, even if folded, so please do not bring those into the building.

Our cloakrooms are free to use and open for those attending a performance or going on a tour. We ask you that you only use the cloakrooms if necessary, as they become very busy, especially at the end of the performance.

There is a gender-neutral toilet located on balcony level by door 3E. At present, it is only accessible when the auditorium is open. Please speak to a member of staff if you have any enquiries.

Baby changing facilities are available in the accessible toilet located on the ground floor and also in the accessible toilets on Level 5 behind the Amphitheatre Bar. Please ask staff for directions.   

We are a cashless venue and do not accept cash in our Front of House areas, Restaurants, Café or Shop.  

If you lose an item, please email [email protected] or speak to a member of the Front of House team. Please provide a detailed description of the lost item and the date you visited. Lost property is kept for one month only. You must collect items in person from the Royal Opera House. Unfortunately, we cannot post items to you. We are not responsible for any lost property. 

Royal Opera House Stream is the Royal Opera House’s digital streaming platform through which you can view performances from the Royal Opera House stages online. You can join through monthly or annual subscriptions so that you can access performances in a way that suits you. Once you have subscribed you can find out more about setup on your home systems via our Stream Help page.

You can watch live relays of performances from our Main Stage throughout the year at a cinema near you. You can find out more about these performances on our Cinema page.