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Turandot

Turandot

Turandot

Main Stage
Opera and music

A cold-hearted princess and her mysterious suitor.

An opera singer wearing a blue Oriental-style tunic with gold banding stands in the centre. Nine performers wearing white Oriental-style tunics and white oriental-style face masks point swords towards the opera singer's head. The swords have red blood stains painted on them and are bound with red ribbon which flows down the performer's arms.  
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Featuring the ever-popular ‘Nessun dorma’, Puccini's captivating opera of love and revenge is brought to life in a dazzling production. Anna Netrebko returns to The Royal Opera, sharing the title role with Maida Hundeling and Anna Pirozzi.

Running time
The performance lasts approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes including two intervals.
Approximate running times:
Guidance
Parental guidance recommended
Language
Sung in Italian with English surtitles. Captions and translations in English will be displayed on screens above the stage and around the auditorium.
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Stream previous performances and Insights
Exceptional philanthropic support from

Royal Ballet and Opera Principal Julia Rausing Trust

Generous philanthropic support from

Martin and Jane Houston

Riddles of Life and Death

The beautiful but icy Princess Turandot will only marry a man who can correctly answer three riddles. Those who fail are brutally beheaded. But when an unknown prince arrives, the balance of power in Turandot’s court is forever shaken, as the mysterious stranger does what no other has been able to.

Background

Drawing on Chinese and Italian theatrical tradition to evoke a richly-imagined, mythical Peking, Andrei Șerban’s dazzling production is a ‘blazing masterpiece’ (Financial Times). Daniel Oren and Richard Hetherington conduct an all-star cast, which includes Anna Netrebko, Maida Hundeling and Anna Pirozzi sharing the title role and Yusif Eyvazov, Arsen Soghomonyan and Roberto Alagna sharing the role of Calaf.

 

Puccini’s unfinished masterpiece

In the final months of his life Puccini struggled to depict Calaf's triumph: he died before finishing the final act of this grand opera. Turandot was completed by Franco Alfano two years later and given its premiere in 1926 at La Scala, Milan. During this initial performance, the conductor Arturo Toscanini famously laid down his baton in Act III, declaring 'at this point, the Maestro died'. Since its premiere, Turandot has gone on to have great worldwide success.

 

World-famous music

Puccini creates a rich sound world for this dark fairy tale. The opera contains many memorable arias, from 'Signore, ascolta' (Sir, listen), as Liù appeals to Calaf not to attempt Turandot's deadly riddles, to Turandot's defiant 'In questa reggia' (In this palace), as well as 'Nessun dorma' (None shall sleep), sung as Calaf anticipates winning the Princess's hand. Andrei Șerban's staging – one of the most spectacular in The Royal Opera's repertory – transports an audience to a beautiful but ruthless world. Sally Jacobs' colourful sets and costumes are inspired by ancient Chinese culture, reflecting the traditional Chinese melodies woven into the score.

Cast and Creatives

Creatives

Access

There is lift access and step-free routes to over 100 seats in the Stalls Circle, Balcony and Amphitheatre. There are 10 steps or fewer to some seats in the Stalls Circle, Balcony, Amphitheatre and the Donald Gordon Grand Tier. All seats in the Orchestra stalls are accessed by 9 steps or more. A handheld bell is rung by Front of House staff to signal guests to take their seats before a performance. The bell is loud and can be startling. The bell is rung approximately ten minutes before the show starts and at each interval.  

We have an assistive listening system available to use.

Upcoming accessible performances:

All performances are Audio Described.

There will be an Audio Described performance with a Touch Tour on 9 January 2026. Touch Tours must be booked by contacting boxoffice@roh.org.uk for tickets.

There will be a British Sign Language interpreted and Captioned performance on 20 January 2026.

Join our Access Scheme for priority access performance tickets and to personalise your account for your access requirements.

See our Accessibility page for more information on access at the Royal Opera House.

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