Royal Ballet and Opera After Hours takes place on 21 August 2026.
Visitors can explore backstage spaces including props, costumes, and rehearsal rooms.
The programme features demonstrations, talks, live music, installations and a silent disco.
The esteemed London institution is opening its backstage spaces to the public after dark for the first time.
London’s cultural institutions have long embraced life after dark. From late-night museum openings to galleries hosting DJs, musicians, authors and artists, some of the capital’s best-known spaces have found new ways to welcome visitors once the daytime crowds disappear. Now, the Royal Ballet and Opera is getting in on the action.
For one night only, the iconic Covent Garden venue will open its backstage areas to the public with Royal Ballet and Opera After Hours on Friday, 21 August 2026. Running from 5.30pm to 11.30pm, the event will offer visitors rare access to parts of the building that usually remain hidden from audiences.
The evening will celebrate the creativity that goes into bringing ballet and opera to the stage, with a programme spanning behind-the-scenes tours, live demonstrations, installations, talks and interactive activities.
The programme is divided into four themes: Stories, Stage, Screen and Style. Across the night, visitors can watch a fight choreography demonstration, hear live musical score performances and learn more about ballet’s enduring influence on fashion. There will also be a closer look at the craftsmanship behind the Royal Ballet and Opera’s costumes, including how pieces are maintained, restored and reused across productions.
Perhaps the biggest draw is the chance to head backstage. Each ticket includes entry to two of four guided tours taking place during the evening. Options include exploring the props department, stepping inside rehearsal rooms and side-stage areas, visiting the costume and jewellery department, or discovering how the sound and broadcast teams help translate performances from the Covent Garden stage to audiences around the world.
It is a rare opportunity to see the scale of work that takes place beyond the auditorium, from handmade costumes and intricate props to the technical expertise required to stage some of the world’s most celebrated ballet and opera productions.
The evening will not be entirely educational. Tickets also include a welcome drink, access to the full programme of activities and entry to a silent disco inside the Royal Opera House’s impressive Paul Hamlyn Hall.
Tickets for Royal Ballet and Opera After Hours are priced at £60 per person and are on sale now.
Where: The Royal Ballet and Opera House, Bow Street, London, WC2E 9DD
When: Friday, 21 August 2026 from 5.30pm to 11.30pm
Contact: www.rbo.org.uk