Opera tickets London

Posted on 19 October 2011

If you would like to purchase opera tickets in London, then it is good to shop around and find tickets at a good value. Opera tickets can be pricey and tend to be just that little bit more expensive than a regular musical or play in the west end.

As always beware of those ticket touts - and make sure you buy from legitimate sources! Opera tickets can vary from as little as £50 going up to £500 (if it is a phenomenal show) with excellent seat locations! The cheaper the ticket, the less quality or view you may have. You can purchase from the venues directly, websites and agents.

If you have never been to the opera, then how do you know what to expect? Well, as I mentioned, it is not like your classic musical, found in nearby theatres in the west end. What is Opera you may ask? Well an opera is a staged dramatic work which blends the elements of theatre, dance and music. Almost all of the dialogue in an opera is sung, or at least delivered in a pitched tone. Opera composers generally start with a written script of the storyline called a libretto, or "little book." The libretto of an opera may be a completely original story, or an adaptation of an existing literary piece. The words and storyline form the basic structure of an opera.

In London there are 2 main opera houses, The Royal Opera House, and The Coliseum, where opera company, The English National Opera resides. Both of these venues are located in Covent Garden, so very easy to get to! The Royal Opera house is home to The Royal Opera company, as well as The Royal Ballet and the Orchestra of The Royal Opera House. The magnificent venue seats 2,268 people and consists of four tiers of boxes and balconies and the amphitheater gallery.

The Coliseum is one of London's largest and best equipped theatres and opened in 1904. With 2,359 seats it is the largest theatre in London. It underwent extensive renovations between 2000 and 2004
Up and coming performances at these venues include The Marriage of Figaro, Castor and Pollux, La Traviata, Der fliegende Holländer and The Royal ballet Sleeping Beauty.

Hopefully these brief points have given you a little insight about the opera and how to get your opera tickets in London.