Friends Rehearsals

Monday 28 September 2026 at 5pm – Parsifal

Can one man heal a broken society? A bold new production by Evgeny Titov features a stellar cast including Stanislas de Barbeyrac, Ekaterina Gubanova, Christian Gerhaher and Brindley Sherratt. Jakub Hrůša conducts.

Thursday 8 October 2026 at 11.30am – A Centenary Celebration

In celebration of The Royal Ballet School’s centenary, these performances bring together dancers from The Royal Ballet, the School and Birmingham Royal Ballet. 

Tuesday 13 October 2026 at 11.30am – Manon

A life of luxury... or love? Manon’s inner turmoil and struggle for survival lie at the devastating heart of Kenneth MacMillan’s 1974 ballet, set to Jules Massenet’s score and featuring Nicholas Georgiadis’s designs.

Tuesday 27 October 2026 at 11.30am – Carmen

Set under the oppressive heat of the Spanish sun, Olivier Award-winning director Damiano Michieletto’s ‘simmering, naturalistic’ (Guardian) staging casts scorching light on the lust, violence and destructive desire of Bizet’s ever-popular opera.   

Monday 9 November 2026 at 12.30pm – Visionaries: Robbins and MacMillan
Two profound meditations on humanity, community and connection. This mixed programme features Jerome Robbins’s Dances at a Gathering and Kenneth MacMillan’s Song of the Earth.

Friday 27 November 2026 at 7.30pm – Un ballo in maschera

A murderous affair. Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera (A Masked Ball) invites you to a twisting world of political and personal tension, all culminating in one treacherous night on the dance floor. Director Philipp Stölzl makes his Royal Opera debut with a playfully surreal new production, featuring costumes by Antony McDonald. 

Thursday 3 December 2026 at 11.30am – The Nutcracker

Peter Wright’s classic production of this festive family favourite sparkles to the swell of Tchaikovsky’s orchestral score, alongside the glow and grandeur of Julia Trevelyan Oman’s period designs. This Season marks Peter Wright’s centenary.

Friday 11 December 2026 at 11.30am – The Magic Flute

With the Queen of the Night’s showstopping arias, an Overture that fizzes with energy, Papageno’s catchy tunes and sublime melodies for Pamina and Tamino, the music of The Magic Flute leaves no heart uncharmed.

Monday 25 January 2027 at 11.30am – Landmarks: Unmissable Ashton

Three milestone works created over three decades – experience the choreographic imagination of Frederick Ashton. This mixed programme comprises Les Rendezvous, Symphonic Variations and Daphnis and Chloë.  

Monday 8 February 2027 at 2pm – Così fan tutte

Così fan tutte has lost none of its sting since it first scandalised audiences in 1790. Boasting beautifully drawn out music, the opera takes its time, its exquisite melodies underpinning the provocative, and resolutely modern, themes at the heart of Mozart’s great work. Netia Jones reimagines Mozart’s comedy of manners through a sharp contemporary lens, where 18th-century romantic trickery meets deeply satirical high-tech deceit.

Friday 19 February 2027 at 7pm – MADDADDAM

Those who remain must find a new way of life. The dystopian future of Margaret Atwood’s trilogy of novels comes alive in this multi-sensory three-act epic by Wayne McGregor. Featuring an original score by Max Richter, MADDADDAM sold out its premiere run in 2024.

Wednesday 3 March 2027 at 6.30pm – Il trittico

In this spectacular trio of Puccini operas, love’s contrasts are laid bare – from the tragedy of jealousy in Il tabarro, to the agonising price of shame in Suor Angelica and the hilarious antics of Gianni Schicchi (featuring the beautiful aria, ‘O mio babbino caro’). 

Saturday 20 March 2027 at 2.30pm – Káťa Kabanová

A storm of longing. Richard Jones’s intimate, stripped-back staging beautifully realises Janáček’s opera of yearning and destruction, which stars Corinne Winters. Jakub Hrůša draws out the expressive lines of the Czech composer’s score, which is infused with traditional folk melodies of his – and Hrůša’s – home country. 

Thursday 25 March 2027 at 6pm – Swan Lake

A princess cursed. A prince deceived. A love immortal. Classical ballet’s most powerful story returns in Liam Scarlett’s spectacular production for The Royal Ballet, bringing together Tchaikovsky’s towering score and John Macfarlane’s picturesque designs.

Saturday 10 April 2027 at 11.30am – Tosca

Oliver Mears’s acclaimed production sets Puccini’s operatic thriller in a contemporary, war-torn Rome, with spectacular designs by Simon Lima Holdsworth. Costume designs by Ilona Karas bring glamour and modernity to this gripping tale of love and betrayal.

Tuesday 27 April 2027 at 7pm – La Gioconda

Raised in poverty, street singer Gioconda has always craved security. But now she craves something more. Oliver Mears’s new staging transports the action to modern-day Venice. Antonio Pappano conducts a star cast including Anna Netrebko and Stefan Pop. 

Wednesday 5 May 2027 at 11.30am – Disruptors: Tanowitz, Junker, Khan, McGregor

Think you know ballet? Think again. This mixed programme features Pam Tanowitz’s Or Forevermore, Joshua Junker’s Never Known, Akram Khan’s Hunting a Whisper in the Wind and Wayne McGregor’s Chroma.

Monday 17 May 2027 at 11.15am– Aida

Love and duty collide as nations clash. Verdi’s sharply relevant opera of love and war returns, with Angel Blue and Ivan Gyngazov as the doomed lovers. Michele Mariotti conducts. 

Tuesday 15 June 2027 at 6.45pm – Hercules

A wife’s longing for her husband turns into devasting jealousy in Handel’s Hercules. Originally staged at the Komische Opera Berlin, Barrie Kosky’s new production bridges the ancient and the modern, combining the director’s signature dramatic intensity with a bold, contemporary aesthetic.

Wednesday 30 June 2027 at 11.30am – Madama Butterfly

Puccini’s Madama Butterfly remains a deeply moving – and troubling – story, fatally bound up with the destructive forces of imperialism. With a breathtaking score that includes Butterfly’s aria ‘Un bel dì, vedremo’ (‘One fine day’) and the famous Humming Chorus, the enduring work is as entrancing as it is heart-breaking.

Saturday 10 July 2027 at 12.30pm – Elektra

Grief turns into a violent quest for revenge. Christof Loy’s nuanced contemporary production returns for its first revival since its 2024 premiere, with Ausrine Stundyte in the murderous title role. Conductor Semyon Bychkov draws out the fierce drama of Strauss’s menacingly modern music. 

When tickets first go on sale Friends may book one, two or four rehearsal tickets depending on your membership level, subject to availability. At a later date, there is an opportunity to book additional rehearsal tickets, up to a maximum of six (for Autumn/Winter and Winter Seasons) or four (Spring/Summer Season) per person. Please refer to the information about your membership, or contact the Membership team on 020 7212 9268 (9:00am-5:00pm, Mon-Fri), or by email, if you require assistance.

Please note: Please be aware of the start time before you book a ticket for a rehearsal. Some rehearsals take place in the evenings or outside usual start times

Find out more by reading our Friends Rehearsals FAQs.

Alternatively, become a Royal Ballet and Opera Friend.

Become a Friend

Friends get exclusive access to rehearsals and priority booking ahead of the public each Season. Membership is a charitable donation that supports the future of ballet, dance, opera and music. 

Find out more and become a Royal Ballet and Opera Friend