Skip to content

The Nutcracker Royal Opera House, Wednesday 16 December 2026

Wednesday 16 December 2026
Royal Opera House, Bow Street, London WC2E 9DD

The Royal Ballet’s Nutcracker at Covent Garden

The Nutcracker at the Royal Opera HouseTicketsToSee supplies The Nutcracker 16 December 2026 tickets for the Royal Opera House: the 1.30pm matinee led by Anna Rose O’Sullivan and Steven McRae, and the 7pm evening led by Francesca Hayward and Cesar Corrales.

Peter Wright’s production has been a Covent Garden Christmas fixture since The Royal Ballet first danced it in 1984, and top-category Stalls, Stalls Circle and Grand Tier seats are among the first to go. Jonathan Lo conducts both.
TicketsToSee has provided access to highly sought-after events for over 22 years.
Book online or speak with our Private Client Team on +44 (0)203 070 3997.
How to book, ticket format and delivery details can be viewed


OFFICIAL EVENT NAME: The Nutcracker (The Royal Ballet) — EVENT DATE: Wednesday 16 December 2026 — EVENT VENUE: Royal Opera House — EVENT CITY: London — START TIME: 1.30pm matinee and 7pm evening
How and when you get your tickets: your booking is confirmed by email with the performance, seat area and total paid, and secure e-tickets are sent to the lead booker’s email before the performance.

Who Dances at the Matinee and the Evening?

The Royal Ballet and Opera lists this cast for the matinee and the evening on Wednesday 16 December 2026. Jonathan Lo conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.
Matinee, 1.30pm

  • Sugar Plum Fairy: Anna Rose O’Sullivan
  • The Prince: Steven McRae
  • Clara: Sae Maeda
  • Hans-Peter / The Nutcracker: Marco Masciari
  • Herr Drosselmeyer: James Hay

Anna Rose O’Sullivan also dances the Sugar Plum Fairy on Saturday 5 December evening. Sae Maeda also dances Clara on Saturday 5 December evening and Tuesday 22 December evening.
Evening, 7pm

  • Sugar Plum Fairy: Francesca Hayward
  • The Prince: Cesar Corrales
  • Clara: Sophie Allnatt
  • Hans-Peter / The Nutcracker: Leo Dixon
  • Herr Drosselmeyer: Bennet Gartside

Francesca Hayward also dances the Sugar Plum Fairy on Tuesday 22 December evening. Sophie Allnatt also dances Clara on Monday 21 December and Wednesday 23 December matinee.
Casting is published by the Royal Ballet and Opera and can change.

When Does the Curtain Go Up, and Where Will You Sit?

  • Matinee: starts 1.30pm, finishes at about 3.50pm
  • Evening: starts 7pm, finishes at about 9.20pm

The performance lasts approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes including one interval. Seats are in the Orchestra Stalls, Stalls Circle or Donald Gordon Grand Tier, generally grouped in pairs, and your seat area is confirmed when you book. The matinee is listed by the Royal Ballet and Opera as audio described, offered with a touch tour and marked family friendly.

Before You Go to Covent Garden

  • Suitable for ages 5 and over; every child needs their own ticket and must sit next to an accompanying adult.
  • Flashing lights and dry ice are used in this production.
  • Royal Opera House, Bow Street, London WC2E 9DD. Nearest Underground: Covent Garden.

Nutcracker Questions Answered

Who dances at the matinee and who at the evening?

At the 1.30pm matinee Anna Rose O’Sullivan dances the Sugar Plum Fairy with Steven McRae as the Prince and Sae Maeda as Clara. At the 7pm evening it is Francesca Hayward with Cesar Corrales, and Sophie Allnatt as Clara. Casting can change.

What time do the matinee and evening start?

The matinee starts at 1.30pm and finishes at about 3.50pm. The evening starts at 7pm and finishes at about 9.20pm, each including one 30-minute interval.

Is this performance audio described or captioned?

The matinee is listed by the Royal Ballet and Opera as audio described, offered with a touch tour and marked family friendly. Call our Private Client Team on +44 (0)203 070 3997 for help with access requirements.

When will I receive my tickets?

Your booking is confirmed by email, and secure e-tickets are sent to the lead booker’s email before the performance.

Use the plus and minus buttons below to choose your quantity, then tap BUY NOW. For every date, the story and the best seats, see our The Nutcracker Tickets page. BUY NOW: choose your seats below.

 
 
 
  
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
 4.8 
 
  Top Rated Service 2026
 
verified by Trustindex 
 
Trustindex verifies that the company has a review score above 4.5, based on reviews collected on Google over the past 12 months, qualifying it to receive the Top Rated Certificate.

Tickets

The numbers below include tickets for this event already in your basket. Clicking "Get Tickets" will allow you to edit any existing attendee information as well as change ticket quantities.
Matinee 1.30pm — The Nutcracker, Royal Opera House, Wed 16/12/2026. Price per person
Wonderful Seats with excellent acoustics and great sight lines in the top categories of the Stalls, Stalls Circle or The Donald Gordon Grand Tier. The Royal Ballet's The Nutcracker, Wednesday 16 December 2026, matinee at 1.30pm.
£ 400.00
4 available
Evening 7pm — The Nutcracker, Royal Opera House, Wed 16/12/2026. Price per person
Wonderful Seats with excellent acoustics and great sight lines in the top categories of the Stalls, Stalls Circle or The Donald Gordon Grand Tier. The Royal Ballet's The Nutcracker, Wednesday 16 December 2026, evening at 7pm.
£ 425.00
4 available
Quantity: 0
Total: £ 0.00

Get a quote

Complete the form below and we'll come back to you ASAP.

Important Buyer Guidance

In a professional capacity, we wish to emphasise that Tickets To See offers a convenient solution for acquiring elusive tickets, and we provide the following guidance for the benefit of our valued customers.

Our Recommendation

Our primary recommendation is that you first try to secure tickets from the official box office, commonly referred to as the primary ticket agent.

However, tickets may be unavailable, difficult to acquire or off-sale, or the box office may not offer your preferred seating or standing options. In any of these cases, you may order with us online, and our team is well prepared to assist you.

Ordering and Delivery

Upon purchase, you will receive a confirmation email detailing the ticket delivery method for your event. Tickets may be printed, issued electronically as PDFs, or transferred to your mobile device via the official app, depending on the event and the issuing venue. Delivery timings are set by the event organiser, and tickets are frequently released close to the event date.

Pricing

All prices on our website are in pounds sterling and may change until your order is confirmed. Any VAT and delivery charges are calculated and displayed in full at checkout before payment.

Our pricing reflects the following factors:

  • the original face value of the tickets
  • the difficulty of acquiring them
  • premium seating
  • the availability of tickets no longer on sale through the box office or public sale
  • the convenience of our VIP concierge service

Prices are dynamic, are determined by promoters and resellers, and often exceed face value. For this event, the original face value price per ticket is £179 to £199.

Seat Allocation and Discretion

We do not disclose exact seat numbers before purchase. This protects seller confidentiality and preserves the flexibility needed to allocate seats within the location described on our website.

The seating area, block or category shown on each listing accurately describes where you will be seated. All seats are grouped together in a minimum of pairs. For groups larger than four, please contact us to confirm seating arrangements before placing an order.

Every purchase is contractually guaranteed and backed by our commitment to a high-quality service.

Company and Legal Status

Tickets To See is the trading name of Aorta UK Limited, registered in England and Wales, company number 05060962. Our registered office is 7 Bell Yard, London, WC2A 2JR.

We are an independent secondary ticket agent and are not affiliated with any box office, promoter, venue or event organiser. All trademarks, event names and trade names are used for descriptive purposes only.

Your purchase is governed by our Terms & Conditions of Business, which you must accept at checkout to form a binding contract.

Important Disclaimers and Risks

  • Cancellation: We cannot guarantee refunds for events cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control (force majeure). We strongly advise you to take out independent event insurance.
  • Frustrated contracts: The Law Reform (Frustrated Contracts) Act 1943, section 1(2), does not apply to our agreements.
  • Original purchaser’s details: Some tickets may carry the original purchaser’s name or details, and a venue may refuse entry on this basis.
  • No refund if entry is refused: All sales are final, and refunds will not be issued if entry is refused for this reason. Please consider this risk carefully before purchasing.

Our Commitment

We appreciate your understanding and look forward to providing you with an exceptional event experience. If you have any questions before booking, our team will be pleased to assist.