Royal Ballet and Opera

100 years, one extraordinary evening ✨

A Centenary Celebration opens tonight, with a programme that traces a century of ballet through the artists and works that have shaped The Royal Ballet School’s story.

From Ninette de Valois’ Checkmate and Frederick Ashton’s Birthday Offering to MacMillan, McGregor and three new works created for the occasion, past and present meet on our Main Stage in a celebration made for this once-in-a-century moment.

🎟️ A Centenary Celebration runs from 8-10 October: bit.ly/4xDF84o

📸 by Tristram Kenton: The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and The Royal Ballet School.

Barbie® and The Royal Ballet have come together to inspire the next generation through the power of play and the joy of dance.

🛍️ Shop the Barbie® | The Royal Ballet clothing and accessories collection now at the Royal Ballet and Opera Shop: bit.ly/3VAH5Bc

📸 by Laura Aziz

A message from Sir Alex Beard, Chief Executive:

"We are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Bonnie Greer - playwright, critic, public intellectual, Trustee, and close friend and mentor to so many in our world.

She was a true diamond whose courage, fearlessness, and strength changed the nation's cultural conversation for the better. Our thoughts are with David, her family, and all who knew and worked with her."

In 2011, she appeared in a powerful contemporary opera in the Linbury Theatre. YES, directed by John Lloyd Davies, included music by Errollyn Wallen and a libretto by Greer herself.

A voice can reach the places we cannot 🪞

Today, The Mirrorbox arrives at the Royal Opera House carrying a message from Charlotte W.

Part of artist Alison Larkman’s I Would Be Here If I Could, the touring installation brings the voices of people living with ME and Long Covid to places across the UK they love but can no longer reach.

You're invited to step inside and hear Charlotte’s memories of this place, then write a postcard back to her. A moment of connection between Charlotte and those standing in a place that means so much to her.

📅 Visit The Mirrorbox at the Royal Opera House on 12 and 13 September - free to visit.

#MirrorboxJourney #MECFS #RoyalOperaHouse

Paganini’s music, set in motion 🎻

The McRae / Vassilev Project opens in the Linbury Theatre tonight, bringing together Royal Ballet Principal Steven McRae and Principal Guest Concert Master Vasko Vassilev in a new creation inspired by the music of Niccolò Paganini.

Directed by Natalie Abrahami, with choreography by Loughlan Prior, the work transforms Paganini’s music into a conversation between sound and movement. Ballet, tap and violin find a shared rhythm in a performance created for the intimacy of the Linbury Theatre.

📸 by Max Miechowski: Steven McRae, Vasko Vassilev, Sarah Lamb and Pamela Tan Nicholson

Mozart’s darkest opera returns 🥀

Don Giovanni opens on our Main Stage tonight, with Gordon Bintner as the nobleman whose relentless pursuit of women leads him from seduction to murder.

Kasper Holten’s production draws us into the twisting interior world of the infamous Don, framed by Es Devlin’s shifting designs. As the walls close in, Mozart’s score carries him towards a fate he cannot escape.

📅 See Don Giovanni on our Main Stage until 15 October: rbo.org.uk/production/don…

📸 by Mihaela Bodlovic: Gordon Bintner, Aigul Akhmetshina, Roberto Tagliavini

The Royal Ballet is saddened to hear of the death of choreographer Richard Alston, whose creativity and artistic leadership made such a significant contribution to British contemporary dance.

Royal Ballet Director Kevin O’Hare comments, ‘Richard was a towering figure of the dance world, with a deep and intuitive understanding of classical ballet. We were most fortunate that he was always a great friend to The Royal Ballet, including the creation of Midsummer for the Company in 1983. He will be much missed.’

Hear more about Richard Alston in his own words in the Ashton Inspired: Choreographer series, filmed by @AshtonFdn and hosted on Royal Ballet and Opera Stream: rbo.org.uk/tickets-and-ev…

Congratulations to Artistic Associate of The Royal Ballet Christopher Wheeldon OBE, who has been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award by the Royal Academy of Dance.

The award was presented by Her Majesty The Queen at a special ceremony at the Royal Academy of Dance's headquarters in Wandsworth, London.

📸 Jimmy Parratt

We are sorry to hear of the death of Ileana Cotrubas. One of the most remarkable artists of her generation, she was a soprano of great musicality, high standards and strong character. She was widely praised, in particular, for her Violetta in La traviata, a role that she embodied at Covent Garden on several occasions. She made her Royal Opera debut in 1971 as Tatyana in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and, although she retired early from the stage, devoted her later years to supporting young artists. Our thoughts are with her loved ones at this time.

📸 Photograph by Donald Southern

The Royal Opera is deeply saddened to hear of the death of David Gowland, Artistic Director of the Jette Parker Artists Programme, at the age of 63.

As the Artistic Director of the JPA Programme from 2001 until 2026, David nurtured the careers of over 150 artists.

We pay tribute to David Hockney - a visionary artist whose imagination transformed not only the canvas, but our stages.

Celebrated for his luminous paintings, Hockney also brought his bold use of colour and perspective to opera and ballet. His designs for Varii Capricci (1983), L’Enfant et les sortilèges (1983), The Nightingale (1983), and Die Frau ohne Schatten (1992) created immersive worlds that became integral to the storytelling. These were not simply sets, but dynamic works of art - a testament to his deep love of theatre and his ability to reimagine how audiences experience performance.

His legacy reshapes how we see - on stage and beyond. Our thoughts are with all those touched by his remarkable life and work.

We are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Sir Alex Younger - a remarkable public servant whose leadership, integrity and quiet strength defined a distinguished career in service of the country.

Alex was widely respected for his work at the highest levels of British intelligence, and for his commitment beyond government, including as a Trustee of the Royal Ballet and Opera, where he brought the same thoughtfulness, insight and dedication to public life.

Our thoughts are with Sarah, his family, and all who knew and worked with him.

- Sir Alex Beard, Chief Executive

We are greatly saddened to hear of the passing of Dame Felicity Lott.

She sung here frequently over 28 years, thrilling audiences with her performances of Strauss and Mozart in particular. Her presence and artistry will be sorely missed. Our thoughts are with her loved ones.

bit.ly/4dib8V2

We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of soprano Khayakazi Madlala. She made her Royal Opera debut last year as High Priestess in Aida.

Our thoughts are with her loved ones at this difficult time.

Mayerling opens on our Main Stage tonight, bringing Kenneth MacMillan’s dark and psychologically charged ballet to life.

📅 See this ballet inspired by real life events on our Main Stage until 18 May: bit.ly/4jvyjL2

📸 ©2026 Tristram Kenton: Matthew Ball, Melissa Hamilton, Mayara Magri, Luca Acri, Meaghan Grace Hinkis.

Rigoletto returns to the Main Stage tonight in Oliver Mears’ darkly elegant production, with Verdi’s score unfolding in all its intensity.

📅 See Rigoletto on our Main Stage until 23 April: bit.ly/4q0q25v

📸 Marc Brenner: George Petean, Aida Garifullina, Iván Ayón Rivas

Today we were delighted to welcome @IanMurrayMP, Minister for the Creative Industries, Media and Arts to our Covent Garden theatre for a tour. Here's what he saw:

We're excited to announce a major new partnership with Bank of America as the Official Touring Partner of The Royal Ballet in 2026 🌏 🩰

Their support will allow us to bring artistic excellence and meaningful creative opportunities to Singapore and Japan this summer

Learn more: bit.ly/405OasB

What lies at the heart of Siegfried?

Antonio Pappano and Barrie Kosky discuss the third chapter of Wagner’s Ring cycle, presented by Samira Ahmed, with Stephen Fry online.

📆 Friday 13 February, 7:30pm: bit.ly/4acL3oJ

▶️Watch live on our YouTube channel: bit.ly/3OEtfu4

A crown heavy with consequence 👑

Boris Godunov opens on our Main Stage tonight, an opera of power, guilt and a conscience that cannot be silenced.

Photos by ©2026 Mihaela bodlovic

📸 Sir Bryn Terfel, Adam Palka, Mingjie Lei, John Daszak