With millions of people forking out for a ticket to London’s legendary Royal Opera House each year, the beloved Covent Garden venue doesn’t exactly fall into the ‘hidden gem’ category, does it? We all know that the oh-so iconic institution is one of the best places to make a beeline for if you’re in the mood for a fancy fix of culture. But what you may not be so clued up on is the fact that you can feast your eyes (and your ears) on their world-class ballet and opera performances on your lunch break. And it’ll only set you back a fiver.
One of the city’s best-kept secrets comes in the form of the Royal Opera House’s ‘Live at Lunch’ initiative. These lunch-time performances give visitors the chance to consume a bite-sized taste of the opera on their lunch hour (far better than a soggy supermarket sandwich, in my opinion) for less than price of a premium meal deal. Not bad, hey?
The Live at Lunch mini concerts used to be completely free to attend but required hopeful audience members to join a hefty queue and run the risk of missing out on one of the tickets (which were dished out on a first come, first served basis). These tickets can now be booked online for just £5, meaning you can guarantee yourself a spot (although the tickets are currently getting snapped up as we speak).
The performances feature a surprise line-up of performers from either the Royal Opera, the Orchestra of the Royal Opera, or the Royal Ballet – alongside a range of exciting guest artists and performers. These lunch-time performances are a wonderful way to experience the opulence of the opera without having to experience the mildly eye-watering price-tag that can so often come with it.
A whole host of new dates have just been released for the Live at Lunch performances – so you’ll need to be speedy if you want to get your hands on one of the sought-after tickets. The performances take place inside the the gorgeously glass-roofed Paul Hamlyn Hall on various Fridays at 1pm, and last for roughly 45 minutes (giving you just enough time to dash back to the office for your afternoon meetings).
You can find out more about the Royal Opera House and snap up a ticket to a Live at Lunch performance here.
📍You’ll find the Royal Opera House at Bow Street, WC2E 9DD.
🚇 The closest station is Covent Garden.
