Best opera shows in London to see today, including Royal Opera House
Channel your inner Richard Gere and Julia Roberts and experience a night at the Royal Opera House with these best opera shows in London.
Just as lovingly as Richard Gere's character Edward stares at Vivian (Julia Roberts) in Pretty Woman as they watch La Traviata, our Going Out readers will stare lovingly at us as they read this best list.
Next up in our guides of exciting things to do in London, we're bringing you the best operas in London. We're here to myth-bust some of the common misconceptions we have about operas; if you think operas are expensive, there's little choice of what to see, and you have to don a ball gown, you'd be mistaken!
In our guide, not only have we listed the best operas to experience in the capital city, but we've written some advise on what to wear to the opera, and ordered the operas in price order, too.
The Going Out team are experts in what activities to try throughout the UK, and especially London. So if you're looking for weekend inspiration, be sure to read our best West End shows, best London experience gifts and best TV series immersive experiences.
Browse London operas at TodayTix
Plus, we're on hand with the latest ticketing articles, too, such as Lady Gaga tickets, 2:22 A Ghost Story tour tickets, Eric Idle tickets, and CMAT tickets.
By entering your details you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Jump to:
- Best operas to see in London at a glance
- What operas can you watch in London?
- What is the best opera to see first?
- What to wear to the opera
- What can I expect from an opera?
- What's the difference between an opera and a musical?
Best operas to see in London at a glance:
- Jette Parker Artists Summer Performance | from £8
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | from £38
- Semele | from £45
- Faust | from £45
- Carmen | from £60
- Il Trovatore | from £50
- Turandot | from £288
- Onegin | from £38
What operas can you watch in London?
Onegin
You have until 25th February 2025 to see Onegin at the Royal Opera House.
While Onegin was originally conceived as an opera, it is now being performed as a ballet at the Royal Opera House. Onegin is a love story written by Alexander Pushkin, with John Cranko’s choreography, and it's set to Tchaikovsky’s — who is best known for Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker — soaring music.
Onegin follows Tatiana as she meets and falls in love with Eugene Onegin, yet is rejected by him as he sees her as a 'naïve, country girl'. However, many years later, they meet again at a ball. Will fate offer the pair another chance at love?
Buy Onegin tickets from £38 at TodayTix
Faust
Something sinister awaits with the tale of Faust...
David McVicar has reimagined French composer Gounod's classic opera with musical numbers and exciting dance sequences, and he's brought along with him a brilliant cast, including Stefan Pop (who is considered among today's leading lyric tenors) and Erwin Schrott (known for the title role of Mozart's Don Giovanni).
In the tale of Faust, he calls on the devil to save him from old age, and the devil makes him an offer he can't refuse: youth, wealth and the beautiful Marguerite. However, Faust's happiness is short-lived, as his dream of love soon becomes a nightmare.
Faust is showing at the Royal Opera House from 23rd May until 10th June 2025.
Buy Faust tickets from £45 at TodayTix
If you're looking for a more family-friendly production, we recommend taking a look at the best kids theatre shows.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
This colourful ballet adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is coming to the Royal Opera House in June.
You'll journey through Wonderland in a way that stays true to the original tale, and you can, of course, expect the cunning Cheshire Cat, as well as a tap-dancing tea party, frogs acting as footmen, and potions that turn you teeny tiny.
It's worth noting that the Audio Described performance is 14th June at 7:30pm, with an optional Touch Tour available at 6:30pm. There's also a Captioned performance on 28th June at 1:30pm and 7:30pm.
Buy Alice's Adventures in Wonderland tickets from £38 at TodayTix
Here's how to get Race Across the World Experience tickets for the new experience.
Turandot
You can see Turandot at Royal Opera House from 19th March until 19th April this year.
Most excitably about Turandot is that you'll hear Nessun dorma performed live; Nessun dorma is an aria from the final act of Turandot, and it's one of the best-known tenor arias in all opera.
Turandot follows the story of the beautiful but cold Princess Turandot who will only marry a man who can correctly answer three riddles — those who fail, will be beheaded (ouch!). Yet when a mysterious prince arrives for Turandot's hand, the balance of power in her court is shaken...
Buy Turandot tickets from £288 at Theatre Tickets Direct
Semele
If you haven't heard of Semele before, you can expect themes of seduction, power and privilege — sounds like a very interesting night at the opera! Oliver Mears's new production of Handel's daring opera follows the story of Semele, whose love for Jupiter introduces her to luxury, however, this ends up being her destruction.
This production of Semele stars Pretty Yende (who sang at the Coronation of King Charles III) in the title role, with Ben Bliss taking on the role of her lover.
Buy Semele tickets from £45 at TodayTix
Jette Parker Artists Summer Performance
If you already have a keen interest in the opera, we'd recommend the Jette Parker Artists Summer Performance as the next show for you. This unique show is an opportunity to explore different opera genres, whilst witnessing new talent in the opera world.
This performance will take place on 20th July this year.
Buy Jette Parker Artists Summer Performance tickets from £8 at TodayTix
Carmen
This 1875 opera composed by Georges Bizet was too controversial for Parisian audiences at the time, however, in 2025 London, Carmen proves ever popular!
In a remote Spanish town, free-spirited Carmen announces that any man she loves should beware, but it's her who is caught unprepared when she seduces police officer Don José. Carmen boasts some of the most recognisable melodies in all of classical music, and we think this opera is not one to miss.
Carmen is showing at the Royal Opera House from 9th April until 3rd July 2025, and there is a BSL interpreted and Captioned performance on 24th April at 7pm, and an Audio Described performance on 21st April at 2pm, with a touch tour at 1pm.
Buy Carmen tickets from £60 at TodayTix
If you buy tickets from TodayTix often, then you'll want to know 'How do TodayTix Rush tickets work?'.
Il Trovatore
This next opera, Il Trovatore, is best know for the Anvil Chorus, Azucena’s Stride la vampa, and Manrico’s heroic Di quella pira. Il trovatore is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi, and it's based on the 1836 Spanish play El trovador by Antonio García Gutiérrez.
Il Trovatore is showing at the Royal Opera House from 26th February until 22nd March. The opera has an age rating of 8+, however, we recommended checking the production notes on TodayTix, as the opera contains potentially upsetting themes.
Buy Il Trovatore tickets from £50 at TodayTix
The RadioTimes.com team like to review shows, too, and you can read our Unicorn review, Second Best review, and The Devil Wears Prada review.
What is the best opera to see first?
We'd recommend watching La Traviata or La Boheme first.
While there is no rule on which opera to experience first, we understand that a lot of people who are new to the opera will be looking for one which is easy to follow and doesn't have an exhaustive run-time (the longest, frequently performed opera is Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, which has a run-time of around five hours 5-minutes).
The Going Out team have done some research, and the general consensus is La Traviata and La Boheme are the best operas to watch first.
La Traviata is split into three acts: Act I is 30-minutes, Act II is 1 hour 10 minutes, and Act III is 35 minutes. In London, it's sung in Italian with English subtitles, and the story follows Parisan courtesan Violetta as she's introduced to (and falls in love with) Alfredo Germont.
Puccini’s famous love story, La Boheme has a run time of two hours and 35-minutes, including one interval. Like La Traviata, La Boheme is sung in Italian with English subtitles.
While neither of these operas are performing in London at the moment, they were showing at the end of last year/start of 2025, so we're hopeful the same will happen this year.
Browse London operas at TodayTix
What to wear to the opera
Wear what you feel comfortable in.
The Royal Opera House in London have expressed that there is no specific dress code for the opera, so if it's your first time at the opera, don't fret about what to wear.
We know that some people enjoy dressing up to visit the Royal Opera House, in the same way that some people like dressing up for the theatre.
However, we know that other people visit the opera straight from a day out or maybe even a day at the office! So whether you're wearing jeans or a suit, heels or trainers, a dress or jumpsuit, the dress code is up to you.
Can you wear jeans to the opera?
Speaking of jeans, yes, you can wear jeans to the opera.
The above operas are performing at the Royal Opera House and London Coliseum, and both venues have expressed there is no specific dress code and you can wear jeans.
Browse London operas at TodayTix
For more exciting things to do in the capital city, take a look at our Much Ado About Nothing review, best plays in London, best immersive museums in London, and Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright review.
What can I expect from an opera?
Like other art forms, such as musicals, plays, and dance performances, you can expect an opera to tell a story, except, with operas, the story is told entirely in singing. Performances are often sung in Italian, German or French, but don't worry if you're not fluent in those languages, there will be English subtitles.
If you've watched Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, you might be wondering (or worrying) whether it's appropriate to clap at an opera. Usually, applause is reserved for the end of an overture (an orchestral piece at the beginning of an opera) and for the end of each Act. However, sometimes people clap if there is a particularly moving solo, so we'd recommend following the lead of the people around you.
It's also important to arrive early to an opera so that you can be seated as the performance will start on time. Unlike a concert, and like a theatre show, you most likely won't be admitted inside the Royal Opera House if the performances have already started.
Browse London operas at TodayTix
What's the difference between an opera and a musical?
Upon hearing that an opera is a story told entirely by singing, it makes sense that people then wonder if shows like Sweeney Todd and Les Misérables are operas, but, no, they're not.
An opera is sung with no spoken dialogue, whereas most musicals intersperse songs with dialogue, like we saw with Clueless, The Devil Wears Prada, and Hadestown.
So why aren't Sweeney Todd and Les Misérables operas if they're predominantly sung? The classical style we hear in operas has remained pretty much unchanged since its inception, whereas musicals evolve based on the musical styles of the time.
Browse London operas at TodayTix
Here's how to get Carabao Cup 2025 final tickets and British Grand Prix tickets.
