Music · London, England
Royal Opera House
Home of The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet in Covent Garden.
The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden is home to The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera, now presented together as Royal Ballet and Opera. A theatre has stood on the site since 1732, and the present building, the third on the plot, was designed by Edward Middleton Barry and opened in 1858 after fire destroyed its predecessor.
A major redevelopment completed in 1999 restored the horseshoe auditorium and joined the house to the glass-and-iron Floral Hall facing the Piazza, and later works opened up the foyers and added the reworked Linbury Theatre. Alongside grand opera and ballet on the Main Stage, the building hosts smaller-scale shows, lunchtime recitals, tours and exhibitions.
Highlights
- Home of The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera
- Neoclassical Bow Street portico by E. M. Barry
- Restored Victorian Floral Hall (Paul Hamlyn Hall)
- Linbury Theatre for smaller-scale and experimental work
