Royal Ballet and Opera

Who we are

The Royal Ballet and Opera, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, brings together world -class performers and trailblazing creative teams to share unforgettable performances with audiences near and far. We are home to The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, 

We house the busiest theatres in the world, delivering more than 400 performances and around 1,350 learning events each year. We employ 1000 permanent staff and generate a turnover of £135m, attracting 1.5m attendances in Covent Garden and in cinemas.

We’re at the forefront of innovation in ways in which audiences can experience opera and ballet. Our work is accessed and experienced across the UK and globally through streams, tours, cinema relays, radio broadcasts and TV output. We are also at the forefront of sustainability in the arts sector, working with other leaders in this area to try to reduce our environmental impact and inspire our audiences to help us on our journey to net zero.

We work across three sites, all enabling us to produce exceptional performances – our theatres and offices at Covent Garden, our production workshop at Thurrock and our storage facility at Aberdare. 

Our culture and values

The Royal Opera House describes the place we work, not who we are. The whole is always more than the sum of its parts – we may be a House, but three quarters of our audiences experience what we do outside this building. While our Covent Garden theatre is the nerve centre, the impact and influence of the organisation can be felt in every corner of the country, and around the world. This Season, the Royal Ballet and Opera will broadcast productions to 1,500 cinemas worldwide. Children in hundreds of schools across the country, who might otherwise not have access to the arts, will be offered opportunities, free specialist training and resources to inspire, educate and engage them in dance, music and design.  

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

Recruiting and working with talented teams is just the start. We are working to create an environment where everyone knows they belong and feel that they can do their best work. This requires inclusive leaders with the ability and desire to continually seek feedback, to really listen and to establish a culture where diversity is genuinely valued and promoted.

Success in this endeavour is critical to the organisation’s future and we commit to holding our leadership team accountable.

It is vital that responsibility for EDI is shared by everyone within the organisation, and our strategy includes commitments from every area of the House, in line with our values and behaviours – Respect, Openness and High Standards.