Tickets
Dates
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Accessibility
- Family Friendly
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Wednesday 28 October, 12.00pm
Wednesday 28 October, 12.45pm
Wednesday 28 October, 1.30pm
Ticketed activities
Enter the magical world of Barbie™ in The Nutcracker with a range of craft activities and experiences for all the family. Drop in during the afternoons to learn about The Nutcracker and create your own split pin dolls of Clara, The Sugar Plum Fairy and the Mouse King.
Once you’ve created your puppet, you can try out your favourite ballet moves with the new Barbie™ in The Nutcracker dolls, or try on costumes and learn more about The Royal Ballet’s much-loved festive production.
Then journey through the Barbie® adventure trail to find Nutcracker dolls around the Royal Opera House and collect stamps and stickers in your souvenir Barbie | Royal Ballet passport. Round off your visit with a trip to the café for a sweet treat and some colouring.
More about the Pop Up
The Barbie | Royal Ballet partnership comes to live with a range of free, exciting activities for all the family this half term, from 28–31 October.
Free, drop-in activities include:
- Photo opportunity: Take a visit to the Kingdom of Sweets and snap a photo against the Barbie™ in The Nutcracker backdrop.
- Barbie® trail: Follow the Nutcracker dolls around the Royal Opera House, discovering playful checkpoints and collecting stamps in your activity passport as they explore.
Free, ticketed activities include:
- The Nutcracker story time: Engaging sessions that bring the magical story of The Nutcracker to life.
- Dressing-up area: A playful space where children can use costumes to step into the story and create their own characters.
- Make your own puppet: Children and families can create a split-pin Sugar Plum Fairy puppet or Mouse King puppet to bring The Nutcracker story to life.
- Barbie® dolls and puzzle stations: Hands-on play areas with dolls and puzzles for children to enjoy together.
- Activity sheets and colouring station: A relaxed creative area for drawing, colouring and completing themed activities.
- Dreams and wishes station: Write a special wish and post it in the Barbie® post box
- Exclusive Barbie™ in the Nutcracker screening: A special screening of the Barbie® in The Nutcracker film ahead of its release on 1 November.
Barbie | Royal Ballet collaboration
The Royal Ballet and Mattel Inc.’s Barbie® are partnering to celebrate the enduring legacy of The Nutcracker. Across stage and screen, both brands have introduced generations of audiences to the enchantment of The Nutcracker through their own distinctive interpretations. Uniting the Barbie® brand’s cultural influence and imaginative storytelling with The Royal Ballet’s internationally acclaimed artistry, the collaboration pays tribute to the timeless appeal of the classic tale.
The partnership brings this shared connection to life through video content, fashion and live experiences. From an original content collaboration with Royal Ballet Principal Fumi Kaneko, a limited-edition Barbie | Royal Ballet retail collection and a four-day Barbie | Royal Ballet pop–up experience at the Royal Opera House.
The collaboration comes as Barbie™ in The Nutcracker reaches its 25th anniversary year, with Mattel Studios ushering in the holiday season with a new animated Barbie™ in The Nutcracker special on Netflix this November, alongside the return of The Royal Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker to the Royal Opera House stage from 3 December 2026 - 13 January 2027.
Access and resources
The Barbie | Royal Ballet Craft Activities takes place in the Linbury Foyer, which is on floor -1 and in the Paul Hamlyn Hall, on the upper ground floor. It is a bright, open-plan space with tiled flooring. For step-free access, use lifts down from the ground floor.
For bathrooms, take the corridor behind the Linbury Bar to the lower floor. You can also take the lift on the left-hand side of the Main Stage Auditorium to get down to the Linbury Foyer toilets.
See our Accessibility page for more information, view a visitors guide (PDF, 12.0 MB) or watch a subtitled guide to The Royal Opera House on YouTube.
Join our Access Scheme for priority access to tickets and to inform us of your access requirements.
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