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  • Venue Royal Albert Hall, London
  • Performance dates Booking to 28 June 2026
  • Running time 2 hours 30 minutes (including interval)
  • Age guidelines Ages 5+. Anyone 14 or below must be accompanied by an adult aged 18+

The Sleeping Beauty was the English National Ballet’s spectacular staging of Tchaikovsky’s beloved classic at the Royal Albert Hall, London.

The Sleeping Beauty at the Royal Albert Hall

English National Ballet brings Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s celebrated production of The Sleeping Beauty to the Royal Albert Hall for four performances only, from 25 to 28 June 2026. The Hall’s vast arena becomes a storybook kingdom — glittering with Nicholas Georgiadis’ opulent costumes and alive with Tchaikovsky’s glorious score, performed live by the English National Ballet Philharmonic.

A landmark production of a timeless classic

MacMillan’s choreography — set after the original Marius Petipa staging — balances regal classical set-pieces with breathtaking solos and spirited fairy variations. From Princess Aurora’s christening to the jubilant finale of her fairy tale wedding, this lavish production is a triumphant celebration of classical ballet at its most spectacular.

Book Sleeping Beauty ballet tickets

With only four performances at the Royal Albert Hall, tickets for The Sleeping Beauty are strictly limited. Book through our secure booking calendar for live availability, transparent pricing, and any exclusive offers.

About The Sleeping Beauty ballet

The Sleeping Beauty is one of the great classics of the ballet repertoire — a fairy tale of curses, enchantment and enduring love, set to one of the most rapturously beautiful scores ever composed.

The story follows Princess Aurora, blessed at birth by a gathering of good fairies but cursed by the wicked Carabosse to die on her sixteenth birthday. Saved by the Lilac Fairy, Aurora falls instead into a deep enchanted sleep — only to be woken, a century later, by the kiss of a prince.

The story of Sleeping Beauty

The ballet is based on Charles Perrault’s 17th-century fairy tale La Belle au bois dormant (Sleeping Beauty in the Wood), first published in 1697. Tchaikovsky’s score — one of his three great ballet commissions alongside Swan Lake and The Nutcracker — premiered in St Petersburg in 1890 and has been considered one of the finest pieces of ballet music ever written. MacMillan’s production, first staged in 1994, is widely regarded as one of the most sumptuous interpretations of the work.

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Performance Information

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Stars and Creatives

Who are the creative team of The Sleeping Beauty - Ballet?

  • Choreography: Kenneth MacMillan (after Marius Petipa)
  • Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
  • Set Design: Peter Farmer
  • Costume Design: Nicholas Georgiadis

Venue Information

Royal Albert Hall , Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AP

Nearest Tube or Train: South Kensington (District, Piccadilly, Circle)

Nearest Buses: 9, 10, 52, 70, 360

Directions

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Sleeping Beauty - Ballet is playing at the Royal Albert Hall in London
The running time of The Sleeping Beauty - Ballet is 2 hours 30 minutes (including interval)
The age recommendations for The Sleeping Beauty - Ballet are: Ages 5+. Anyone 14 or below must be accompanied by an adult aged 18+
Yes, The Sleeping Beauty - Ballet has matinee performances on the following days: Friday
The Sleeping Beauty follows Princess Aurora, who is cursed at birth by the wicked fairy Carabosse to die on her sixteenth birthday. The Lilac Fairy softens the curse so that Aurora will instead fall into a deep sleep, to be woken by a prince's kiss. The ballet spans Aurora's christening, her enchanted sleep and her eventual awakening, culminating in a grand royal wedding.
Yes — The Sleeping Beauty is widely considered one of the finest entry points into classical ballet. Tchaikovsky's score is immediately recognisable and deeply moving, the story is clear and engaging, and the production's visual grandeur makes for a genuinely spectacular evening. The Royal Albert Hall setting adds an extra sense of occasion.
The Sleeping Beauty was originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. It premiered at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg in 1890. The English National Ballet production uses Kenneth MacMillan's choreography, which is itself based on Petipa's original.
No, sorry, The Sleeping Beauty - Ballet has now completed its run and is no longer on sale.

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