London is where some of the world’s most prestigious ballet companies such as Birmingham Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, London City Ballet, Northern Ballet, Scottish Ballet, and The Royal Ballet perform at renowned venues like the Royal Opera House, Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Royal Albert Hall, and London Coliseum.
They often produce large scale ballet shows in London with productions of classical ballets featuring live orchestra, lavish costumes, and impressive sets as well as introduce audiences to cutting edge contemporary works by some of the most sought after choreographers of today.
Due to the sheer volume of ballet and dance companies, along with the plethora of performance venues in London, the city offers shows all throughout the year.
Upcoming Ballet Shows in London for 2025 & 2026
English National Ballet: The Forsythe Programme
The Royal Ballet: Ballet to Broadway
Northern Ballet: Jane Eyre
The Royal Ballet: Ballet to Broadway
The Royal Ballet: Onegin
The Royal Ballet: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House was the third theater to be built on the Convent Garden site after both previous structures – Theatre Royal and Royal Italian Opera – were destroyed in fires. Home to The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet, the venue did not always present live performance but rather was also used for films, cabarets, and lectures.
In 1858, E.M. Barry’s design for today’s Royal Opera House welcomed audiences with an inaugural performance of Giacomo Meyerbeer’s opera Les Huguenots but shows were interrupted by both World Wars during which the theater was use as a furniture repository and Mecca Dance Hall, respectively.
Later, Ninette de Valois’s Sadler’s Wells Ballet became the resident ballet company and on February 20, 1946, Margot Fonteyn danced Aurora (The Sleeping Beauty) in the gala which represented the reopening of the Opera House. Later that year, the newly organized Covent Garden Opera and Sadler’s Wells Ballet produced Frederick Ashton’s The Fairy Queen.
It wasn’t until 1956 and 1968 that the ballet and opera were awarded Royal Charters.
Architect Jeremy Dixon and Bill Jack of Building Design Partnership (BDP) won the 1984 bid to restore and reconstruct The Royal Opera House. By 2000, at total cost of 178 million British pounds, the transformation into how the complex looks today was finally finished.
