The Royal Ballet and Opera has announced its 2025/26 Cinema Season, bringing world-class theatre to cinema screens around the globe.
With nine productions presented by both Companies, the programme includes beloved classics La Fille mal gardée, Cinderella, The Nutcracker, La traviata, Woolf Works, Giselle and The Magic Flute as well as two new opera productions: Tosca and Siegfried.
Offering audiences a view from the best seat in the house, the programme shares the joy of live performance and the beauty of world-class art with cinemagoers in more than 1,500 cinemas and 50 countries around the world.
Director of The Royal Ballet, Kevin O’Hare, said: ‘Our upcoming Cinema Season is a thrilling kaleidoscope of intense and vibrant emotion across some of our most compelling narrative works. From the unalloyed joy of La Fille mal gardée, through to the poetry of Giselle and Woolf Works, we can’t wait for audiences to share in the unparalleled artistry of our dancers and visionary choreographers.’
The Royal Ballet’s 2025-26 cinema season dazzles with a stellar lineup of productions, blending timeless classics, innovative works by its Founder Choreographer Frederick Ashton and renowned choreographers.
Escape to a vibrant countryside in La Fille mal gardée (5 November), Ashton’s joyful ballet brimming with humor and choreographic invention, following a capricious young girl’s quest to marry her true love, perfect for family audiences.
Ashton’s Cinderella (25 November) transports viewers to an ethereal world where a sprinkle of fairy dust makes dreams come true, offering a theatrical spectacle with Prokofiev’s shimmering score, ideal for all ages.
Celebrate the festive season with The Nutcracker (10 December), Peter Wright’s cherished production since its 1984 premiere, featuring Tchaikovsky’s iconic score and Julia Trevelyan Oman’s sumptuous designs. This Christmas favorite brings E.T.A. Hoffmann’s fairy tale to life, enchanting audiences of all ages with its magical story of Clara and her Nutcracker Prince.
Wayne McGregor’s acclaimed Woolf Works (9 February) returns, a multisensory triptych premiered in 2015, inspired by Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, Orlando, and The Waves, plus her autobiographical writings. Set to Max Richter’s specially commissioned score, this Olivier Award-winning work weaves emotions and themes into a fluid, collage-like experience, earning the 2015 Critics’ Circle National Dance Award for Best Classical Choreography.
Delve into the haunting romance of Giselle (3 March), Peter Wright’s 1985 production, a cornerstone of The Royal Ballet’s repertory. Set to Adolphe Adam’s evocative score with John Macfarlane’s atmospheric designs, this quintessential Romantic ballet follows Giselle, a peasant girl who, upon discovering her lover Albrecht’s noble identity and betrothal, dies of despair and joins the vengeful Wilis, leading to a tale of love, betrayal, and redemption.
Complementing these ballets, the Royal Opera House presents Puccini’s Tosca (1 October), Verdi’s La traviata (14 January), Wagner’s Siegfried (31 March), and Mozart’s The Magic Flute (21 April). For tickets and cinema locations, visit www.roh.org.uk/cinemas.
Cinema tickets are on sale now. Visit rbo.org.uk/cinemas for more information.
