The Royal Ballet and Royal Opera have unveiled an unmissable autumn 2025 season at the Royal Opera House, featuring a captivating mix of beloved revivals, exciting new productions, and significant debuts. Tickets are available now, with prices starting from an accessible £5 at rbo.org.uk, ensuring these world-class performances are within reach for a wide audience.
The Royal Ballet Highlights
The Royal Ballet opens its autumn program with Christopher Wheeldon's Like Water for Chocolate (October 1-24), a passionate and magical family saga inspired by Laura Esquivel’s celebrated novel, returning for its first revival. This is followed by Frederick Ashton’s La Fille mal gardée (October 18 – November 13), celebrating 65 years since its premiere with its exuberant humor and brilliant choreography – a true love letter to the English countryside.
A new triple bill, "Perspectives: Balanchine, Marston and Peck" (November 14 – December 2), promises a diverse evening. It includes George Balanchine's radiant Serenade, a new work by the award-winning Cathy Marston inspired by Benjamin Britten’s Violin Concerto, and the Royal Ballet's first performance of Justin Peck’s uplifting Everywhere We Go, set to a commissioned score by Sufjan Stevens.
The Linbury Theatre will host exciting guest companies, including Joburg Ballet's Communion of Light (October 30 – November 2), celebrating South Africa's 30th year of democracy with a mixed program including Dada Masilo’s Salomé. Also making their Linbury debut is the reformed London City Ballet with "Rebirth: Robbins, Page, Ratmansky, Chu" (November 19 – 22), featuring the UK premiere of Jerome Robbins’ Quiet City.
The Royal Opera Highlights
The Royal Opera season commences with a highly anticipated new production of Puccini’s "Tosca" (September 11 – October 7), marking Music Director Jakub Hruša's first production in his new role. Directed by Oliver Mears, this modern-day Roman setting promises to heighten the opera's thrilling music and features a star-studded cast including Anna Netrebko and Aleksandra Kurzak in the title role, alongside Freddie De Tommaso as Cavaradossi.
Verdi’s grand opera "The Sicilian Vespers" (September 19 – October 6) sees Speranza Scappucci make her debut as Principal Guest Conductor. The Linbury Theatre also stages a new production of Handel’s fantastical "Giustino" (October 7-18), marking its first UK professional staging on the original site since its 1737 premiere.
Further highlights include Covent Garden’s first-ever production of Janácek’s "The Makropulos Case" (November 4 - 21), directed by Katie Mitchell and conducted by Jakub Hruša. The visceral opera "Last Days" (December 5 – January 3), based on Gus Van Sant’s film about Kurt Cobain, returns to the Linbury after a sold-out 2021 run. The season concludes with a new production of Handel’s "Ariodante" (December 9-21), part of the Handel in Covent Garden series.
With a blend of timeless classics and innovative new works, the Royal Ballet and Opera's autumn season promises a rich tapestry of performing arts.
