No longer booking
  • Venue Royal Opera House, London
  • Performance dates Booking to 27 February 2025
  • Running time 1 hour and 30 minutes (no interval)
  • Age guidelines 16+

Book tickets to Festen at The Royal Ballet & Opera in London

Thomas Vinterberg’s cult film is transformed into a bold new opera in this world premiere at The Royal Opera in London.

When a wealthy hotel owner gathers friends and loved ones to celebrate his 60th birthday, his children must confront the pain of their past – and the man responsible.

Decorum descends into chaos in this piercing new opera of trauma and complicity.

Acclaimed contemporary composer Mark-Anthony Turnage (Anna Nicole, Coraline) and librettist Lee Hall (Billy Elliot) come together with director Richard Jones (La bohème, Samson et Dalila) to adapt Oscar-winning filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg’s (The Hunt, Another Round) 1998 film.

An international cast conducted by Edward Gardner is led by Allan Clayton, Stéphane Degout and Gerald Finley, taking on this operatic world premiere.

Festen runs from 11–27 February 2025 at The Royal Opera House in London

Background – From Screen to Stage

The Danish avant-garde film movement Dogme95 that became infamous within the world of cinema in the late nineties began with Festen (The Celebration), Thomas Vinterberg’s international breakthrough and the source material for composer Mark-Anthony Turnage. With fellow film director Lars von Trier (Nymphomaniac, Melancholia, Breaking the Waves – the latter two adapted into operas), Vinterberg created a manifesto that intentionally mimicked French film auteur François Truffaut’s ‘Une certaine tendance du cinema’, the Cahiers du cinéma article that had launched the French New Wave movement in 1954.

The Dogme95 rules or ‘vows of chastity’, as named by von Trier and Vinterberg, were to be implemented, first and foremost, to allow traditional storytelling, raw performance style and specific themes greater focus. Elaborate special effects and technology were forbidden, while shooting was to be done on location, in natural light and with hand-held cameras. With this approach, it is perhaps unsurprising that Festen – its damning emotional revelations unvarnished by the artificial devices of popular cinema – is particularly conducive to the more organic and indeed dramatic setting of the stage.

Festen has been adapted multiple times for the stage, including for the Almeida Theatre, in the West End and later on Broadway. The libretto for this opera has been adapted and created by Lee Hall, who wrote the screenplay for the film Billy Elliott.

When a wealthy hotel owner gathers friends and loved ones to celebrate his 60th birthday, his children must confront the pain of their past – and the man responsible.

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Stars and Creatives

Who are the creative team of Festen?

Based on the Dogme film FESTEN by Thomas Vinterberg and Mogens Rukov.

Music by Mark-Anthony Turnage, libretto by Lee Hall. Directed by Richard Jones with set design by Miriam Buether and costumes by Nicky Gillibrand. Lighting design by Lucy Carter and movement direction by Lucy Burge.

Important Notes

Notes: The opera contains themes of child sexual abuse, suicide and addiction. There are depictions of racist behaviour and violence.

Language: Sung in English with English surtitles. Captions and translations in English will be displayed on screens above the stage and around the auditorium.

Venue Information

Royal Opera House , Bow Street, London, WC2E 9DD

Nearest Tube or Train: Covent Garden (Piccadilly line), Leicester Square (Piccadilly line, Northern line)

Nearest Buses: 1, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 23, 26, 68, 76, 77a, 91, 168, 171, 176, 188, 501(southbound only), 505, 521, X68 all go to the Aldwych.

Directions

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Critics' reviews of Festen

★★★★★ "Mark-Anthony Turnage and Lee Hall have created a compelling new opera" - The Times

★★★★★ "Music theatre of flawless pace and range" - The Arts Desk

Frequently Asked Questions

Festen is playing at the Royal Opera House in London
The running time of Festen is 1 hour and 30 minutes (no interval)
The age recommendations for Festen are: 16+
Yes, Festen has matinee performances on the following days:

No, the performance runs for 90 minutes without an interval.

No, sorry, Festen has now completed its run and is no longer on sale.

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