The Nutcracker Tickets

The Nutcracker tickets for The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House are the most sought-after seats of the London Christmas season. Peter Wright’s production has opened the festive season at Covent Garden since 1984, with Tchaikovsky’s score, a Christmas tree that grows before your eyes and a Sugar Plum Fairy who has enchanted generations. This season marks Peter Wright’s centenary.

Access is the difficulty. The house seats around 2,250, members book first, and top-category seats for December performances go early. So The Nutcracker is booked with purpose: a child’s first ballet, a family tradition kept every Christmas, clients hosted before the break, or a festive treat promised for years. 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 production | Running time | Best seats | Your visit | FAQs

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

The Nutcracker Tickets: Key Facts Before You Book

• Company: The Royal Ballet, with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
• Venue: Royal Opera House, Bow Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DD
• Season: Thursday 3 December 2026 to Wednesday 13 January 2027, 29 public performances
• Running time: about 2 hours 20 minutes, including one interval
• Age guidance: five and over
• Seats we offer: top categories of the Orchestra Stalls, Stalls Circle and Donald Gordon Grand Tier

In short: TicketsToSee sells top-category seats for every public performance of The Royal Ballet’s The Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, from 3 December 2026 to 13 January 2027, in the Orchestra Stalls, Stalls Circle or Donald Gordon Grand Tier, with your seat area confirmed when you book.

The Nutcracker Tickets at the Royal Opera House

Royal Ballet Nutcracker performances this season

Evening performances start at 19:00 or 19:30 and matinees between 12:30 and 14:30, with performances running through early December, Christmas week, New Year and into January. The full list is under Performance Dates.

Choose your performance and seats

Each date has its own page with its start times and seats; days with a matinee and an evening offer both. Every seat is in the top categories of the house.

Early December

• Thursday 3 December 2026, evening 7.30pm
• Friday 4 December 2026, matinee 12.30pm and evening 7pm
• Saturday 5 December 2026, matinee 2pm and evening 7.30pm
• Tuesday 8 December 2026, evening 7.30pm
• Wednesday 9 December 2026, evening 7.30pm
• Friday 11 December 2026, evening 7.30pm
• Monday 14 December 2026, evening 7pm
• Wednesday 16 December 2026, matinee 1.30pm and evening 7pm
• Saturday 19 December 2026, evening 7pm

Christmas week

• Monday 21 December 2026, evening 7.30pm
• Tuesday 22 December 2026, matinee 1.30pm and evening 7pm
• Wednesday 23 December 2026, matinee 1.30pm and evening 7pm
• Thursday 24 December 2026, matinee 12.30pm
• Tuesday 29 December 2026, matinee 1.30pm and evening 7pm
• Wednesday 30 December 2026, evening 7.30pm
• Thursday 31 December 2026, matinee 2.30pm

New Year and January

• Saturday 2 January 2027, matinee 1.30pm and evening 7pm
• Tuesday 5 January 2027, evening 7.30pm
• Thursday 7 January 2027, evening 7.30pm
• Friday 8 January 2027, evening 7.30pm
• Tuesday 12 January 2027, evening 7.30pm
• Wednesday 13 January 2027, evening 7.30pm

The Nutcracker Tickets: Prices Per Person

Top-category seats are priced from £400 to £495 per person, excluding VAT, depending on the performance: December evenings are in highest demand, January performances are the most accessible. VAT and delivery are calculated and shown at checkout.

How Your Nutcracker Tickets Are Delivered

• Your booking is confirmed by email with the performance, seat area and total paid.
• Secure e-tickets are sent 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.

The Royal Ballet’s Nutcracker: The Production

Royal Opera House The Nutcracker story

On Christmas Eve, young Clara is given a nutcracker doll by the mysterious magician Drosselmeyer. When the house falls asleep she creeps back downstairs, the toys come to life, the Nutcracker defeats the Mouse King, and Clara is swept away through a snowy forest to the Kingdom of Sweets, where the Sugar Plum Fairy reigns.

Tchaikovsky’s music

The score is one of the most recognisable in ballet: the Waltz of the Flowers, the Dance of the Mirlitons and the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, with the twinkling sound of the celesta. It is played live by the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

Peter Wright’s production and designs

Peter Wright’s staging, after the original choreography by Lev Ivanov, was first danced by The Royal Ballet in 1984. Julia Trevelyan Oman’s period designs take the story from a 19th-century German home to the glittering Kingdom of Sweets.

The Nutcracker Running Time, Timings and Age Guidance

Nutcracker Royal Opera House running time

The performance lasts approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes: Act I runs about 50 minutes, followed by a 30-minute interval, then Act II of about 50 minutes. Latecomers may be held until a suitable break.

Age guidance for children

The production is suitable for ages five and over; children under five are not admitted. Every child needs their own ticket and must sit next to an accompanying adult. Flashing lights and dry ice are used.

The Nutcracker Tickets: Best Seats in the House

Orchestra Stalls

Closest to the stage, with every detail of the footwork and the transforming Christmas tree in full view.

Stalls Circle

A raised ring just above the stalls; centre seats give a slightly elevated view of the whole stage picture.

Donald Gordon Grand Tier

The first tier above the Stalls Circle. Centre seats show the patterns of the snowflakes and flowers at their best.

Seeing The Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House London

Nutcracker 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. Many families dress up for the occasion, and December evenings feel festive, but smart-casual is perfectly acceptable.

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 lunch or dinner. Book ahead in December.

Why Book The Nutcracker 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.

The Nutcracker Tickets: Frequently Asked Questions

When is The Royal Ballet Nutcracker on?

From Thursday 3 December 2026 to Wednesday 13 January 2027 at the Royal Opera House, with 29 public evening and matinee performances.

How long is the Royal Opera House Nutcracker?

About 2 hours and 20 minutes, including one 30-minute interval.

Can children see Royal Ballet The Nutcracker?

Yes, from the age of five. Every child needs their own ticket and must sit next to an accompanying adult.

Where are the best seats for The Nutcracker?

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

How much are The Nutcracker tickets?

Our top-category seats are £400 to £495 per person excluding VAT, depending on the performance. VAT and delivery are shown at checkout.

How are the 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 families dress up for a December performance.

Ready for a night at the ballet? 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, 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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Royal Opera House Nutcracker Performance Dates

All performances are on the Main Stage of the Royal Opera House. Choose a date to see its start times and book.

Early December

• Thursday 3 December 2026, evening 7.30pm
• Friday 4 December 2026, matinee 12.30pm and evening 7pm
• Saturday 5 December 2026, matinee 2pm and evening 7.30pm
• Tuesday 8 December 2026, evening 7.30pm
• Wednesday 9 December 2026, evening 7.30pm
• Friday 11 December 2026, evening 7.30pm
• Monday 14 December 2026, evening 7pm
• Wednesday 16 December 2026, matinee 1.30pm and evening 7pm
• Saturday 19 December 2026, evening 7pm

Christmas week

• Monday 21 December 2026, evening 7.30pm
• Tuesday 22 December 2026, matinee 1.30pm and evening 7pm
• Wednesday 23 December 2026, matinee 1.30pm and evening 7pm
• Thursday 24 December 2026, matinee 12.30pm
• Tuesday 29 December 2026, matinee 1.30pm and evening 7pm
• Wednesday 30 December 2026, evening 7.30pm
• Thursday 31 December 2026, matinee 2.30pm

New Year and January

• Saturday 2 January 2027, matinee 1.30pm and evening 7pm
• Tuesday 5 January 2027, evening 7.30pm
• Thursday 7 January 2027, evening 7.30pm
• Friday 8 January 2027, evening 7.30pm
• Tuesday 12 January 2027, evening 7.30pm
• Wednesday 13 January 2027, evening 7.30pm

Royal Ballet Nutcracker for Families, Groups and Clients

Family bookings

The Nutcracker is the classic first ballet. Matinees suit younger children, and 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.

Corporate Christmas entertaining

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

The Nutcracker tickets as a Christmas gift

A seat at the Royal Opera House in December is one of the most memorable Christmas presents in London. Choose the performance and the number of seats, and call us if you would like help planning a surprise, a family outing or a special Christmas treat for someone close to you.

Choosing the Right Performance of The Nutcracker

Matinee or evening

Matinees suit younger children and families travelling into London for the day, finishing in time for an early supper. Evening performances have the full festive atmosphere of Covent Garden at night, with the Piazza lit for Christmas on the way in and out.

December, Christmas week or January

Early December performances are popular for office parties and client evenings. Christmas week, including Christmas Eve, is when demand peaks. The January performances after New Year are the calmest time to go and offer the widest choice of seats.

A first ballet

The Nutcracker is the ballet most people see first. The story is simple to follow without knowing it in advance, the music is familiar, and the two acts are short enough to hold a young audience’s attention.

A Short History of The Nutcracker Ballet

From Hoffmann’s tale to St Petersburg

The ballet is based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s 1816 story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. Tchaikovsky wrote the score to a scenario by Marius Petipa, and the ballet was first performed at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg in December 1892, with choreography by Lev Ivanov.

The Nutcracker at Covent Garden

Peter Wright created his version for The Royal Ballet in 1984, drawing on Ivanov’s original and adding a framing story for Drosselmeyer and his nephew Hans-Peter. It has returned almost every Christmas since and has been danced hundreds of times on the Royal Opera House stage.