Get ready for a magical experience at the Royal Opera House, the heart of London’s theater scene! You’ll find us nestled in Covent Garden, a lively district brimming with culture and entertainment.
Finding Your Way
Getting here is easy! The nearest underground station is Covent Garden, while Leicester Square, Holborn, and Tottenham Court Road offer step-free access. For those arriving by train, Charing Cross is just a short walk away and boasts excellent wheelchair accessibility. Charing Cross is also only 0.5 miles from the Royal Opera House. Aldwych, Drury Lane, and Leicester Square Station are the closest bus stops. We don’t offer on-site parking, but you can find limited disabled access parking bays in Bow Street and Floral Street.
A Welcoming & Accessible Experience
The Royal Opera House is committed to providing a welcoming and accessible experience for everyone. We offer step-free access throughout the building, from our ground-floor cafe and foyer to a range of seats in our performance spaces. Lifts are available on both sides of the auditorium, allowing complete access to all Front of House areas.
We also offer a free, specialized Access Membership to visitors who need assistance. This membership provides personalized seat allocation, ticket discounts, free companion tickets, and more. Assistance dogs are welcome everywhere in the Royal Opera House, including the auditorium.
For detailed information about building access, layout, accessible performances, and our free Access Scheme, visit our dedicated Accessibility page.
Before the Curtain Rises
Please bring a device to display your e-ticket, and arrive at least 30 minutes before the performance starts. The Box Office is open from 12 noon to 6 pm, Monday to Saturday, and closes at the start of the evening performance. On Sundays with performances, the Box Office opens 90 minutes before the performance begins.
Our cloakrooms open two hours before evening performances and 90 minutes before matinee performances, and are also available for guests attending a guided tour. Larger bags and backpacks must be checked into our complimentary cloakrooms. Pushchairs, e-scooters, and e-unicycles, even when folded, are not allowed in the building.
Performances begin promptly, so please be on time! If you arrive late or leave the auditorium during a performance, for safety reasons and to ensure a peaceful experience for all, you may be asked to wait in the foyers until the interval or a suitable break in the performance when the lights are raised. This may take up to 90 minutes. You can follow along with the performance on our TV monitors during this time.
For information about seat maps, restricted views, and performance access, visit our dedicated Accessibility page.
Enjoy a Memorable Experience
Whether you’re social dining with friends or sipping champagne during the interval, the Royal Opera House offers a truly memorable experience. Our cafe and Piazza restaurant are open daily from 12 noon and welcome everyone. The Dorfman Conservatory and Paul Hamlyn Hall are open during main stage performances, while the Linbury bar is open during performances in the Linbury theatre. The Balconies Restaurant and Crush Room are exclusively available to performance ticket holders and require a reservation.
Explore the Royal Opera House
Join one of our expert guides and embark on a tour of our building, exploring areas normally closed to the public. We offer a variety of tours, including:
- Behind the Scenes Tour
- Herstory of the Royal Opera House
- Pride of the ROH
- Family Nutcracker Tours
- Stages and Cells of Covent Garden
We also offer bespoke tours for private groups or groups requiring tours in different languages. Contact our tours team at [email protected] to learn more.
Safety and Security
The Royal Opera House takes safety and security very seriously. Our highly trained security officers are stationed at all entrances and exits to conduct bag searches and patrol our spaces. We also have a 24/7 security control room and regularly conduct emergency exercises to ensure a swift and effective response to any incident. Our front of house staff and security officers are trained in emergency procedures, suspicious behavior detection, and first aid. If you have any concerns or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to speak to a member of staff.
