The Royal Ballet and Opera will unveil new stage curtains at a landmark Gala performance on May 14, 2026.

The event will bring together both companies alongside the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, the Royal Opera Chorus, and the Jette Parker Artists.

The outgoing curtains, installed in 1997, served through nearly three decades and tens of thousands of performances. The new curtains, created through hundreds of hours of skilled craftsmanship by the Royal School of Needlework and Gerriets, bear the personal cipher of His Majesty King Charles III, Patron of the Royal Ballet and Opera. The commission was made possible through a grant from the Julia Rausing Trust.

Led by Royal Opera Music Director Jakub Hrůša, the operatic program features Freddie De Tommaso performing “Ch’ella mi creda” from Puccini’s “La fanciulla del West,” Bryn Terfel with “Was duftet doch der Flieder” from Wagner’s “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg,” and Aigul Akhmetshina performing an aria from Tchaikovsky’s “The Maid of Orleans.” Pretty Yende performs “Je veux vivre” from Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette,” Simon Keenlyside sings the Prologue from Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci,” and SeokJong Baek performs “Nessun dorma” from Puccini’s “Turandot.” The evening closes with the Finale from Verdi’s “Falstaff,” featuring soloists, Jette Parker Artists, and the Royal Opera Chorus.

The Royal Ballet program includes performances by Marianela Nuñez, Fumi Kaneko, Vadim Muntagirov, Lauren Cuthbertson, Matthew Ball, Marianna Tsembenhoi, and Harris. All Royal Ballet performances are conducted by Martin Georgiev.

The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, celebrating its 80th anniversary, performs Dvořák’s “Carnival Overture” and Tchaikovsky’s “Sleeping Beauty Overture,” while the Royal Opera Chorus is spotlighted in the Anvil Chorus from Verdi’s “Il trovatore.”