Opera shows in London in May 2025

Opera is a type of musical entertainment featuring soaring singers and musicians. Traditionally, operas are performed in grand opera houses and are written in a variety of languages, including Italian, French, English, and German. They feature a classical, symphonic style of music and singing.

Two of the most famous opera venues in London are the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, where the Royal Opera company performs, and the London Coliseum in Westminster, where the English National Opera performs. Other famous venues, like Royal Albert Hall in South Kensington, also host operas from time to time.

London has multiple opera houses. The two major ones are the Royal Opera House in the Covent Garden neighborhood, located off the Covent Garden tube stop; and the London Coliseum in the Westminster borough, located off the Westminster tube stop.

London's opera houses don't have a dress code. People often associate operas with formal wear, and that's certainly welcomed, especially if your visit to the opera is a special or rare occasion. But the most important thing is to wear something you'll be comfortable sitting in for a few hours.

Operas are entirely sung-through, whereas most musicals often have spoken scenes in between the songs. Some musicals are also sung-through, but musicals are written in a diverse array of classic and modern musical styles, while operas are generally written and performed in a classical style.