Manon Ballet Tickets

Manon ballet tickets for The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House are for one of the great dramatic works of the twentieth century. Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon, first danced at Covent Garden in 1974, tells the story of a young woman torn between love and luxury in 18th-century Paris, set to the music of Jules Massenet and played live by the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

Access is the difficulty. The house seats around 2,250, members book first, and top-category seats for a Manon revival go early because audiences return to see different principal couples take on its famous pas de deux. So Manon is booked with purpose: an anniversary, a birthday, a client evening that has to be right, or a first taste of dramatic ballet. TicketsToSee has sourced seats for sold-out performances for over 20 years, and your seat area is confirmed when you book.

On this page: Key facts | Tickets | Prices | Delivery | The ballet | Running time | Best seats | Your visit | Why TicketsToSee | FAQs

Choose Your Date or call our Private Client Team on +44 (0)203 070 3997.

Manon Ballet Tickets: Key Facts Before You Book

• Company: The Royal Ballet, with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
• Choreography: Kenneth MacMillan; music: Jules Massenet, orchestrated by Martin Yates; designs: Nicholas Georgiadis
• Venue: Royal Opera House, Bow Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DD
• Season: Tuesday 13 October to Thursday 19 November 2026, 21 public performances
• Running time: about 2 hours 45 minutes, including two intervals
• Age guidance: 14 and over
• Seats we offer: top categories of the Orchestra Stalls, Stalls Circle and Donald Gordon Grand Tier

In short: TicketsToSee sells top-category Manon ballet tickets for every public performance of The Royal Ballet’s Manon at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, from 13 October to 19 November 2026. Seats are in the Orchestra Stalls, Stalls Circle or Donald Gordon Grand Tier, each date has its own page, and your seat area is confirmed when you book.

Manon Ballet Tickets at the Royal Opera House

Manon Royal Ballet 2026 performances

Across the Manon Royal Ballet 2026 run, evening performances start at 7.30pm, and the three Saturdays each have a matinee at 1pm and an evening performance at 7pm. Choose a date to see its start times and book your seats:

October 2026

• Tuesday 13 October, 7.30pm (opening night)
• Friday 16 October, 7.30pm
• Monday 19 October, 7.30pm
• Tuesday 20 October, 7.30pm
• Thursday 22 October, 7.30pm
• Friday 23 October, 7.30pm
• Saturday 24 October, matinee and evening
• Monday 26 October, 7.30pm
• Tuesday 27 October, 7.30pm
• Wednesday 28 October, 7.30pm
• Friday 30 October, 7.30pm

November 2026

• Thursday 5 November, 7.30pm
• Friday 6 November, 7.30pm
• Saturday 7 November, matinee and evening
• Wednesday 11 November, 7.30pm
• Friday 13 November, 7.30pm
• Saturday 14 November, matinee and evening
• Thursday 19 November, 7.30pm (final performance)

Choosing your performance

Opening night and the Friday and Saturday evenings are the most requested Manon ballet tickets, so book those dates early. For the Manon Royal Ballet run, midweek evenings in late October and November offer the widest choice of seats. The Saturday matinees suit guests travelling into London for the day, finishing in time for an early dinner in Covent Garden.

Manon Ballet Tickets: Prices Per Person

Top-category seats are priced at £395 or £425 per person, excluding VAT, depending on the performance: opening night, the final performance and the most requested evenings sit at the upper price. VAT and delivery are calculated and shown at checkout.

How Your Manon Ballet Tickets Are Delivered

• Your booking is confirmed by email with the performance, seat area and total paid.
• Manon tickets are sent as secure e-tickets to the lead booker’s email before the performance.
• Show your e-ticket on your phone at the door, or bring a printed copy.
• Seats are generally grouped in pairs; for three or more guests together, call us before ordering.

Ready to book? Choose Your Date or call +44 (0)203 070 3997.

Manon the Ballet: Story, Music and Designs

The story of Manon the Royal Ballet tells

Manon the ballet opens in the underworld of 18th-century Paris, where money buys everything. The young Manon, on her way to a convent, falls in love with the student Des Grieux and runs away with him. Her brother Lescaut sells her instead to the wealthy Monsieur G.M., and Manon is caught between devotion and a life of luxury. A card game, an arrest and deportation to Louisiana follow, and the ballet ends in the swamps with one of the most harrowing final scenes in dance.

Massenet’s music

MacMillan did not use Massenet’s opera Manon. With the composer Leighton Lucas and the pianist Hilda Gaunt he built a new score from Massenet’s other music, from orchestral suites to songs, now heard in Martin Yates’s orchestration.

MacMillan’s choreography and the great pas de deux

Manon is MacMillan’s second full-length ballet as director of The Royal Ballet, and its three pas de deux for Manon and Des Grieux, the bedroom duet in Act I, the reunion in Act II and the final swamp scene, are among the most demanding and expressive in the repertoire.

Nicholas Georgiadis’s designs

Georgiadis’s designs set the story among ragged beggars and gilded courtesans, with heavy drapes and faded splendour that make the Paris of Manon Lescaut feel both lavish and decaying.

Manon Ballet Running Time and Age Guidance

How long is the ballet

The performance lasts approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes, including two intervals. Evening performances starting at 7.30pm finish at about 10.15pm; the Saturday matinees at 1pm finish at about 3.45pm, and the Saturday evenings at 7pm at about 9.45pm.

Age guidance

The Royal Opera House recommends the production for ages 14 and over. It contains scenes of a sexual nature, including stylised depictions of sexual violence, and a gunshot in Act II. Latecomers may be held until a suitable break.

Manon Ballet Tickets: Best Seats in the House

Orchestra Stalls

Closest to the stage, where the acting and the intimacy of the pas de deux are at their most vivid.

Stalls Circle

A raised ring just above the stalls; centre seats give a slightly elevated view of the whole stage picture, including the crowded courtyard and ballroom scenes.

Donald Gordon Grand Tier

The first tier above the Stalls Circle. Centre seats show the patterns of the ensemble scenes and Georgiadis’s designs at their best.

Seeing Manon at the Royal Opera House London

Getting there

The house is on Bow Street, London WC2E 9DD. Covent Garden Underground station on the Piccadilly line is the nearest; Leicester Square and Holborn are a short walk away.

What to wear

There is no dress code. Smart-casual is perfectly acceptable, and many people dress up for an evening at the ballet.

Dining before the ballet

The house has restaurants and bars, including the glass-roofed Paul Hamlyn Hall, and Covent Garden is full of restaurants for a pre-theatre dinner. Pre-order interval drinks to avoid the queues.

Why Book Manon Ballet Tickets with TicketsToSee

TicketsToSee has sourced seats for sold-out ballet, opera and theatre for over 20 years from our London office at 7 Bell Yard, London WC2A 2JR. Every order is handled by our London team, and your seat area is confirmed when you book. We are an independent ticket broker, not the Royal Opera House or its box office.

Call +44 (0)203 070 3997, WhatsApp +44 7418 609758 or email sales@ticketstosee.com. For other ballets and operas, see our Royal Opera House tickets page, including The Nutcracker tickets for Christmas.

Manon Ballet Tickets: Frequently Asked Questions

When is Manon Royal Ballet 2026 on?

From Tuesday 13 October to Thursday 19 November 2026 at the Royal Opera House, with 21 public performances, including matinees on three Saturdays.

How long is Manon the ballet?

About 2 hours and 45 minutes, including two intervals.

Is Manon the Royal Ballet production suitable for children?

The Royal Opera House recommends it for ages 14 and over, because it contains scenes of a sexual nature, including stylised depictions of sexual violence, and a gunshot in Act II.

How much are Manon ballet tickets?

Our top-category seats are £395 or £425 per person excluding VAT, depending on the performance. VAT and delivery are shown at checkout.

Where are the best seats for Manon?

Centre seats in the Orchestra Stalls, Stalls Circle and Donald Gordon Grand Tier, which is where all our seats are.

How are Manon tickets delivered?

As secure e-tickets sent to the lead booker’s email before the performance, with your booking confirmed by email first.

Is there a dress code for the ballet?

No. Smart-casual is fine, though many people dress up for an evening at Covent Garden.

Ready for Manon at Covent Garden? Choose Your Date or call +44 (0)203 070 3997.

Prices on this page are TicketsToSee resale prices and are often higher than the face value set by the Royal Opera House, which is £152 to £173 per ticket for this production, because of the cost of securing premium seats for sold-out performances. All prices exclude VAT and delivery, which are shown at checkout.

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
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Manon Royal Opera House Performance Dates

All performances are on the Main Stage of the Royal Opera House. Choose a date to book.

October 2026

• Tuesday 13 October, 7.30pm
• Friday 16 October, 7.30pm
• Monday 19 October, 7.30pm
• Tuesday 20 October, 7.30pm
• Thursday 22 October, 7.30pm
• Friday 23 October, 7.30pm
• Saturday 24 October, 1pm and 7pm
• Monday 26 October, 7.30pm
• Tuesday 27 October, 7.30pm
• Wednesday 28 October, 7.30pm
• Friday 30 October, 7.30pm

November 2026

• Thursday 5 November, 7.30pm
• Friday 6 November, 7.30pm
• Saturday 7 November, 1pm and 7pm
• Wednesday 11 November, 7.30pm
• Friday 13 November, 7.30pm
• Saturday 14 November, 1pm and 7pm
• Thursday 19 November, 7.30pm

Manon Ballet Tickets for Groups and Clients

Corporate evenings at the ballet

An evening of Manon at Covent Garden gives a client invitation a natural shape: dinner, the performance and conversation in the two intervals. We can source groups of seats for the night you choose and send every e-ticket to one lead booker.

Anniversaries and special occasions

Manon is a love story on the grandest scale, which makes it a memorable anniversary or birthday evening. Seats are generally grouped in pairs, so tell us the size of your party before you order and we will advise on seating everyone together.

A Short History of Manon the Ballet

From Prévost’s novel to the stage

The ballet is based on Abbé Prévost’s 1731 novel, L’Histoire du Chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut, which was seized on publication for its portrait of the Parisian demi-monde. The story went on to inspire operas by Auber, Massenet and Puccini.

Manon at Covent Garden since 1974

Kenneth MacMillan created Manon for The Royal Ballet, and it was first performed at the Royal Opera House on 7 March 1974, with Antoinette Sibley and Anthony Dowell in the leading roles. It has since become a signature work of The Royal Ballet and is danced by companies around the world. Manon the Royal Ballet performs today is still MacMillan’s original staging, and every revival at Covent Garden brings new pairings to the roles of Manon and Des Grieux.