Tickets
Tickets
If you are attending a performance or event at the Royal Opera House we may need to search your bags on entry. You can help us make this as quick as possible by doing the following:
- Plan your journey and arrive as early as possible
- Avoid bringing any bags with you
- If a bag is necessary, please bring no bag larger than a small handbag (no larger than A3 or a briefcase)
Where to go and opening times
Ticket sales are available online at www.roh.org.uk
If you are having trouble booking online, visit our Help page for user guides and FAQs.
You can also book from our Box Office located by our café inside the Ground Floor Foyer. We would recommend using the Piazza entrance, especially if you wish to queue before 10am.
Ticket collection is also from our Box Office inside the Ground Floor Foyer.
Box Office telephone lines on +44 (0)20 7304 4000 are open 10am – 8pm Monday to Saturday.
Sundays and public holidays Our Box Office opens two hours before the start of a performance or an event. Our telephone lines remain closed on Sundays and public holidays, but you can email us at BoxOffice@roh.org.uk (monitored two hours before a performance or event).
What’s coming up in 2019/20?
When can I book?
Details of when booking opens for each production is available on the relevant production page.
Friends of Covent Garden have access to priority booking and Premium and Supporting Friends can book even earlier. Find out more about the benefits of being a Friend of Covent Garden.
Where can I see prices for different areas of the auditorium?
We release details of seat prices for each production in advance of booking commencing. Where pricing is available you can see it on the individual production pages.
What does ‘restricted view’ mean?
For some of our seats you may not be able to see all of the stage. This can be due to it being a side view, or due to such obstructions as tier ledges, safety rails, pillars or ceiling overhang. You can find out about view restrictions and other details for a particular seat either online, by telephone or at the box office.
Standing places are not recommended for people under 5'4'' (1.6m), due to view restrictions from tier ledges, leaning bars or audience members in the row in front.
Are there any other authorized ticket vendors?
No. All other ticket outlets, agents and websites are not authorized to sell ROH tickets. Any tickets bought through other outlets are invalid and may be forgeries. These agents are not 'secondary ticketing facilities' as defined by s95 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and do not resell tickets.
Is there any way to buy tickets for a sold-out performance?
Friday Rush We now offer Friday Rush tickets every Friday at 1pm whereby 49 tickets are made available to buy online for each main-stage performance – including those that are sold-out – from Saturday to the following Friday.
Tickets only available via phone or in person Due to the horseshoe shape of our Main Stage auditorium some of the seats have a restricted view. These restricted view seats are only bookable by telephoning our Box Office who can explain these restrictions.
Seats for the Main Stage: camera restricted view seats; and listening seats may still be available. Please contact the Box Office on +44 (0)20 7304 4000.
Why is online booking not available for an event?
Some events will not be made available for general booking online. They may be listed for the purpose of information or are for an invited audience only. Examples include events that engage with new audiences (Schools’ Matinees, Paul Hamlyn Christmas Treats, Welcome Performances, Chance to Dance) and special Gala performances. If you have been invited to purchase tickets for a special event and can’t gain access to booking please contact the Box Office on +44 (0)20 7304 4000 or email onlinebooking@roh.org.uk.
What do you do with returns?
Returned tickets may become available at any time, so please keep checking the website or call the Box Office on +44 (0)20 7304 4000. We sell returns for all ROH performances and venues. If a production does not take place at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden site please visit the host venue’s website for their terms and conditions of sale and returns policy.
Where do I go to collect my tickets?
Tickets for all events can be collected on the day from the Box Office, located in the Ground Floor foyer, from 90 minutes before the advertised start time.
Productions and events are frequently staged at venues outside the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. When booking online, you can opt to receive tickets via post (when possible) or as an e-ticket. If you wish to collect tickets from the venue, please collect your tickets from the venue’s own box office on the day of the performance. Tickets for other venues cannot be collected before the day of the performance.
When will my tickets be posted to me?
If you have opted to have your tickets posted, they will be sent out by Second Class Business Mail within 7–10 days of the order confirmation. Please note that we do not post tickets to addresses outside the UK. For any ticketing enquiries, please contact the box office on +44 (0)20 7304 4000.
Can I arrange for my tickets to be collected by a friend or guest?
Yes, you can – but due to data protection laws, we require the nominated party to present written permission from the original purchaser to the Royal Opera House Box Office. However, if you have an e-ticket, you can simply forward the email and attached e-ticket onto your friend or guest. Find out more about e-tickets.
Written permission for physical tickets needs to include the original purchaser’s name and address; the order number of the tickets; the seat numbers; the last four digits of the card used to make the booking; the name of the nominated person collecting the tickets, and permission for the Royal Opera House to hand over the tickets.
To make life easier we have provided two templates. The PDF format can be printed out and filled in by hand, whereas the word document is downloadable and can be filled out electronically. These documents can then be presented to the Box Office within 90 minutes of the start of the performance.
Download the letter of authorization (Word document) Download the letter of authorization (PDF 1 MB)
What is a gift certificate and where can I buy one?
You can buy a gift certificate to give to someone else, who can then redeem the value of the certificate against either tickets or Friends membership. You can buy a ticket gift certificate or a membership gift certificate online. You can also purchase them in person at the Box Office or by telephone on +44 (0)20 7304 4000.
If I buy a gift certificate online, what do I receive?
You will receive the gift by post, which you can then give to the intended recipient. The certificate will have a unique number and includes instructions (also given below) on how it can be redeemed, either online or by telephone. Find out how to redeem a ticket or membership gift certificate.
How do I get hold of cheap tickets for the Royal Opera House?
A range of tickets are available. Some tickets cost as little as £3, so a visit may be cheaper than you think – the important thing is to book early.
Friday Rush: every Friday at 1pm we offer 49 tickets for each main-stage performance from Saturday to the following Friday. Friday Rush tickets are at a range of prices that varies for each production, but in general the tickets included are at our lower price ranges.
Schemes such as Welcome Performances for families (generously supported by Gregory and Regina Annenberg Weingarten through The Annenberg Foundation) and The Taylor Family Foundation Schools’ Matinees are ways in which people new to the Royal Opera House can visit us cheaply.
If you are a student, you can register with Young ROH, allowing you to take advantage of unsold tickets for Royal Ballet and Royal Opera productions at the bargain price of £10. You also get access to reduced-price tickets for four dedicated Student Amphitheatre Performances per Season and one Whole House Student Performance, as well as an advanced booking for every single performance. ROH Students is generously made possible by the Bunting Family and Simon Robey. Find out more about Young ROH.
Do you have an Access Programme?
Visit our Access page if you would like information on Royal Opera House Access Membership, which is open to any EU resident who has a disability as defined by the Equalities Act 2010.
May I bring children?
Children aged 5–14 are very welcome. They must have their own ticket and be seated next to an accompanying adult. Unfortunately, children aged 0–4 cannot be admitted into the auditoriums, unless specifically advertised. Please check the website or ring the Box Office to make sure.
Can I exchange tickets?
For performances taking place at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden site, exchanges can be made to tickets within the same price band or higher, subject to availability. You may only request an exchange by telephone or in person, and exchanges are limited to productions that are open for general sale. Please note that Friends of Covent Garden benefit from priority telephone exchange. Successful exchanges are subject to a £4-fee per ticket exchanged, plus the cost of the new tickets if in a higher price band. Exchanges are not permitted within three working days prior to the performance. Please note that tickets to productions by The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera cannot be exchanged with tickets to productions by visiting companies.
If a production does not take place at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, please visit the host venue’s website for their terms and conditions of sale and exchange policy.
Unfortunately we cannot offer exchanges on Friday Rush tickets.
Please note, we do not accept postal deliveries at weekends or on Bank holidays. Exchanges can be processed at the Ticket Sales desk in the Ground Floor Foyer, provided the tickets are returned within three working days of the performance. Please see the Ticket Sales desk opening times here.
Can you sell a ticket for me if I no longer need it?
The Royal Opera House cannot guarantee the sale of any tickets returned to the Box Office regardless of ticket availability and/or demand. The Royal Opera House cannot resell tickets for productions taking place outside the Royal Opera House Covent Garden site. Please visit the host venue’s website for information on their terms and conditions of sale and resale policy.
Returned tickets will only be offered for re-sale with the authorization of the original purchaser. Returned tickets are sold subject to customer demand and only if there are no more tickets available in that part of the theatre or in that price band. Returned tickets may be withdrawn from re-sale at any time at the original purchaser’s request and/or at the management’s discretion. Any refunds will be made to the original purchaser. If returned tickets are successfully resold, a £4 fee per ticket resold will apply. This fee is charged to the original purchaser.
Returned tickets will only be offered for resale at the management's discretion. The original purchaser may place tickets for resale by sending an email (including Order Number and ticket details) to BoxOffice@roh.org.uk no later than two hours prior to the start of the performance. In person the original purchaser may place tickets for resale at the Box Office no later than 30 minutes prior to the start of the performance.
All refund payments will be made to the credit or debit card with which the tickets were purchased; where this is not possible or if the tickets were not originally paid for by card, a refund will be issued in form of a Royal Opera House Gift Certificate. Successfully re-sold tickets will be refunded after the performance, usually within five working days, less the £4 fee per ticket resold.
If your ticket has been partially or fully re-sold, we will contact you after the performance by e-mail where possible. If you fail to hear from us within 28 days following the performance, please call the Box Office on +44 (0)20 7304 4000.
Can I buy a ticket to a dress rehearsal?
Tickets to our dress rehearsals (we call them General Rehearsals) are available to Friends of Covent Garden.
How will I know if an artist withdraws?
We notify ticket holders by email if we know of a major cancellation at least two days before the performance. As much notice is given as possible. Details of all major cancellations will also be shared via our front of house screens prior to the performance. Cast changes will also be highlighted on the relevant date page for the production in question.
What is meant by the event indicators (e.g. BSL, Filming) included on some performances listed on the website?
On the website, we indicate where a performance might be different from usual. These indicators can be found next to performances listed on a production page, or on the event page for that performance. These indicators are explained below:
- BSL: the performance will be interpreted from the side of the stage by a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter.
- Cast change: the casting for this performance is different from previously advertised. Click to expand and see further details.
- Early start: the performance or event begins earlier than might be expected, e.g. 7pm instead of 7.30pm, or 12pm instead of 2pm. Please check the start time before making travel plans.
- Filming: there will be cameras in the auditorium or studio. In the main auditorium, some sightlines may be affected by the cameras, and tickets for these seats are sold only over the phone and are not available online. Please contact the Box Office to find out more about these seats on +44 (0)20 7304 4000, Mon–Sat 10am–8pm.
- First perf.: the first performance of a run.
- Last perf.: the last performance of a run.
- Matinee: this performance or event takes place during the day rather than in the evening.
- No interval: this performance or event runs straight through without an interval.
- Relaxed: this performance has been modified to make it accessible for audience members with Autism Spectrum Disorders or other learning disabilities. Changes might include: introductions to characters at the start of performances to prevent surprises or shocks during the show; adjustments to the lighting and sound; removal of pyrotechnics or other stage effects that can be startling; or other changes made in consultation with these audiences. There may be more sound and movement from audience members, as well as opportunities for them to take time out from the performance.
Please contact the Box Office on +44 (0)20 7304 4000, Mon–Sat 10am–8pm for more information about these indicators.
Courtesy policy
Our staff are committed to treating everyone with dignity and respect, and we ask that you show them and your fellow audience members respect too. We adopt a zero tolerance approach to anyone who interacts with our staff or fellow patrons in an intimidating, aggressive or threatening manner.