The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden is home to The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera, known together since 2024 as Royal Ballet and Opera. The present building, designed by Edward M. Barry, opened in 1858 and is the third theatre on the site; the first two burned down. Its horseshoe auditorium seats 2,256, and much of the rest of the building was rebuilt in the 1990s. London Theatre Geek lists its ballet.
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Seating
- Orchestra StallsThe best all-round view of the dancing, and the most expensive.
- Stalls CircleStrong if you're in the centre; avoid the far ends.
- Grand TierThe best compromise for ballet: the whole stage, with detail.
- BalconyA step down in price and detail; pick a central seat.
- AmphitheatreThe budget way to see the Royal Ballet, if you're happy far away.
- SlipsCheap, but for ballet the view is the problem; only if nothing else is left.
Orchestra Stalls
The ground floor, closest to the stage, with large seats and a good rake.
- Best view: the centre, around rows G to L, sees the whole stage and the dancers' feet. Nearer the front you are very close but looking up at the stage floor.
- Restricted view: the sides are close but angled.
- Access: step-free from the entrances, with wheelchair spaces elsewhere in the house (see below).
Stalls Circle
The first tier, a horseshoe around the Stalls.
- Best view: the centre rows look straight down the stage.
- Restricted view: seats at the curved ends of the horseshoe lose part of the stage.
- Access: wheelchair spaces in this tier.
Grand Tier
The Donald Gordon Grand Tier, above the Stalls Circle.
- Best view: raised enough to see the patterns the corps de ballet makes, and still close enough for the footwork. Good sound too.
- Access: wheelchair spaces in this tier.
Balcony
The tier above the Grand Tier.
- Best view: the centre, which keeps the whole stage in view.
- Restricted view: the curve of the horseshoe means the sides look across rather than at the stage.
- Access: wheelchair spaces in this tier.
Amphitheatre
The top tier, high above the stage.
- Comfort: a steep rake and no armrests; not for anyone who dislikes heights.
- Best view: the whole stage from above, though you lose the detail of the footwork. Opera glasses help.
- Access: wheelchair spaces in the Upper Amphitheatre.
Slips
Single rows running round the sides of the upper levels.
- Restricted view: you look across the house at the stage, and much of it can be out of sight. Better for listening than for watching dance.
See the view from your seat
SeatPlan has photographs taken from individual seats at the Royal Opera House, alongside a full seating plan and reviews from people who sat there. Worth a look before you commit to a restricted-view seat.
View seat photos and planAffiliate link — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you.
Facilities
Toilets
Accessible toilets on the ground floor, in the Linbury foyer and on Level 5. No Changing Places toilet.
Bars
Bars and a café on several levels, with food before the show. Only bottled water and ice cream are allowed in the auditorium.
Ticket holders only. No large bags, suitcases, backpacks or pushchairs.
Until curtain up on performance days; Sundays from 90 minutes before a show.
Stage door
On Floral Street, under the Bridge of Aspiration, not on Bow Street.
Location
Royal Opera House, Bow Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DD
Getting there
nearest first
- 2–3 min
Covent Garden
PiccadillyNot step-free.
- 6–8 min
Leicester Square
NorthernPiccadilly - 7–9 min
Holborn
CentralPiccadilly - 12 min
Tottenham Court Road
CentralNorthernElizabethStep-free.
- 10 min
Charing Cross
BakerlooNorthernNational RailStep-free from National Rail.
Bus stops on Aldwych, Drury Lane and by Leicester Square station.
Step-by-step walking directions
The Royal Opera House is on Bow Street, with a second entrance on the Covent Garden Piazza. Covent Garden (Piccadilly line) is a couple of minutes away but isn't step-free; Leicester Square and Holborn are close too. For step-free travel, Tottenham Court Road is about a 12 minute walk, and Charing Cross (National Rail) about 10. Both the Piazza and the Bow Street entrances are step-free, with power-assisted doors.