Royal Opera House announces major name change and promising new season

Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Royal Opera House has announced a major name change to Royal Ballet and Opera, and its ambitious programme for the 2024/25 season. “Together, the Royal Ballet and Opera will continue to perform at Covent Garden’s Royal Opera House, with performances shown in cinemas around the world, marking an exciting new era for the two companies as they enter a thrilling 2024/25 Season.” Lee Hall has written the libretto for Turnage’s Festen, with Allan Clayton, Eva-Maria Westbroek and Gerald Finley in the cast. open image in gallery Royal Opera House will be known as Royal Ballet and Opera to include all aspects of institution’s offering Between the departure of English-Italian conductor Antonia Pappano’s as music director at the Royal Opera, Czech conductor Jakub Hrůša does not take over until September 2025, so this season will host them both. open image in gallery Vadim Muntagirov and Marianela Nunez in Frederick Ashton’s ‘Cinderella', 2023 The announcement comes as the organisation has experienced a 10 per cent cut in Arts Council England funding as many institutions in the arts sector face similar withdrawals of funding – like the English National Opera, which has relocated to Manchester after it was told by the Arts Council last year that it would lose its £12m of its funding unless it moved out of the capital.