Manon Tickets at the Royal Opera House

What Tickets Cost

Tickets start from around £35 and go up to around £250 for the best seats on the busiest nights. Prices change from date to date, so a Tuesday in early November can cost a good deal less than a Saturday evening.

All-in pricing, the price you see is what you pay. Call us on 020 7193 9050 and we'll help you find the right seats for your date.

Performance Schedule

21 performances from Tuesday 13 October to Thursday 19 November 2026. Evenings start at 7:30pm, and on Saturdays 24 October, 7 November and 14 November there is a 1pm matinee and a 7pm evening show. There are no performances from Saturday 31 October to Wednesday 4 November.

The performance on Wednesday 25 November is a Young RBO performance and isn't on general sale.

Book Your Manon Tickets

Tickets from around £35, with prices that change by date. All-in pricing, the price you see is what you pay.

Book tickets • Call us on 020 7193 9050

Where to Sit for Manon

For ballet, being able to see the dancers' feet and the full stage matters more than being close. The front of the Stalls Circle and the Donald Gordon Grand Tier give a clear view across the whole stage, and the centre of the Orchestra Stalls brings you closest to the faces. The Amphitheatre is the highest level and the cheapest, a long way from the stage but with the whole picture in view.

Who's Manon For?

Anyone who wants a ballet with a real story and a lot of feeling. There are no fairies or swans here: it is a story about money, desire and survival, and it ends badly. MacMillan made it for The Royal Ballet in 1974, and the company still treats it as one of its signature works.

It isn't one for children. The Royal Opera House gives an age guide of 14+, because the ballet includes scenes of a sexual nature and stylised depictions of sexual violence. There is also a gunshot in the second act.

What Happens in Manon?

Manon arrives at an inn on her way to a convent. Her brother Lescaut is ready to sell her to the highest bidder, the wealthy Monsieur G.M., but she falls for a young student, Des Grieux, and runs away with him. Lescaut brings her back to G.M., and the furs and jewels win. Love pulls her back to Des Grieux, but in Paris everything has a price, and the last act takes them both a long way from the city.

The music is not Massenet's opera of the same name. MacMillan used a selection of other Massenet pieces, arranged for the ballet, and nobody sings.

Who's Dancing

The Royal Ballet casts Manon and Des Grieux differently through the run, so check who is on before you choose a date. As published on 12 October:

Manon News

The Royal Ballet's revival of Manon opens on Tuesday 13 October 2026. MacMillan made the ballet in 1974 for Antoinette Sibley and Anthony Dowell, and the Royal Opera House calls it one of The Royal Ballet's signature works.

Cast and Creative Team

Danced by The Royal Ballet, with Manon and Des Grieux cast by date (see Who's Dancing). Conducted by Koen Kessels until 7 November and by Martin Georgiev from 11 November.

Choreography by Kenneth MacMillan, music by Jules Massenet orchestrated by Martin Yates, designs by Nicholas Georgiadis, lighting by Jacopo Pantani.

Getting to the Royal Opera House

The Royal Opera House is on Bow Street in Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DD. Covent Garden station (Piccadilly line) is about 3 minutes' walk away, but it has no step-free access; Leicester Square is about 6 minutes. Charing Cross is the nearest main line station.

Buses 9, 15, 23, 26, 87, 91, 139 and 176 stop on the Strand at Southampton Street, a couple of minutes' walk. The 1, 59, 68, 76, 172, 188, 243 and 341 stop at Aldwych and Drury Lane.

There's no parking at the theatre. Arrive 20 to 30 minutes before, no later: larger bags have to go in the cloakroom, and the auditorium opens 30 minutes before the start. More in our Royal Opera House guide.

Accessible performances

• Audio described performances: Sat 14 Nov 2026, 1:00pm

Access bookings are handled by the venue's own access team, not by us.

Manon FAQs