The Royal Ballet and Royal Opera have announced an exhilarating autumn 2025 season at the Royal Opera House. This season boasts a delightful combination of cherished revivals, fresh productions, and noteworthy debuts. Tickets are on sale now, starting at just £5 at rbo.org.uk, making these extraordinary performances accessible to a broad audience.
Royal Ballet Highlights
The Royal Ballet kicks off its autumn lineup with Christopher Wheeldon’s Like Water for Chocolate (October 1-24), a passionate family saga drawn from Laura Esquivel’s acclaimed novel, marking its first revival. Next, Frederick Ashton’s La Fille mal gardée (October 18 – November 13) returns to celebrate 65 years since its premiere, showcasing its vibrant humor and exquisite choreography—a true homage to the English countryside.
A new triple bill, Perspectives: Balanchine, Marston and Peck (November 14 – December 2), promises an engaging evening of dance. This program features George Balanchine’s luminous Serenade, an innovative piece by Cathy Marston inspired by Benjamin Britten’s Violin Concerto, and the Royal Ballet’s inaugural performance of Justin Peck’s uplifting Everywhere We Go, featuring a commissioned score by Sufjan Stevens.
The Linbury Theatre will welcome notable guest companies, including Joburg Ballet’s Communion of Light (October 30 – November 2), celebrating South Africa’s 30th anniversary of democracy with a program that includes Dada Masilo’s Salomé. The acclaimed London City Ballet will also debut at the Linbury with Rebirth: Robbins, Page, Ratmansky, Chu (November 19 – 22), highlighting the UK premiere of Jerome Robbins’ Quiet City.
Royal Opera Highlights
The Royal Opera season opens with an eagerly awaited new production of Puccini’s Tosca (September 11 – October 7), featuring Music Director Jakub Hruša’s inaugural production in his new role. Directed by Oliver Mears, this contemporary Roman adaptation aims to intensify the opera’s stirring music and stars a remarkable cast that includes Anna Netrebko and Aleksandra Kurzak in the title role, with Freddie De Tommaso as Cavaradossi.
Verdi’s epic opera The Sicilian Vespers (September 19 – October 6) marks Speranza Scappucci’s debut as Principal Guest Conductor. Additionally, the Linbury Theatre will host a new production of Handel’s enchanting Giustino (October 7-18), the first professional staging in the UK since its 1737 premiere.
Other highlights include Covent Garden’s premiere of Janácek’s The Makropulos Case (November 4 – 21), directed by Katie Mitchell and conducted by Jakub Hruša. The intense opera Last Days (December 5 – January 3), inspired by Gus Van Sant’s film about Kurt Cobain, returns to the Linbury following a sold-out run in 2021. The season wraps up with a new rendition of Handel’s Ariodante (December 9-21), part of the Handel in Covent Garden series.
With a captivating mix of timeless classics and groundbreaking new works, the Royal Ballet and Opera’s autumn season promises an enriching cultural experience.
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