London Opera | 4 October – 1 November 2027
It’s a once-in-a-decade event for opera lovers. The Royal Opera has announced casting and dates for the complete cycle of Richard Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen in Barrie Kosky’s acclaimed production, conducted by the Royal Opera’s Music Director, Jakub Hrůša. All four operas will be performed at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden next autumn.
Here are five things to know.
1. All four operas together for the first time
Since Das Rheingold premiered in 2023, each instalment of Kosky’s new Ring has been critically acclaimed, and many see it as one of the defining interpretations of our time. Now, for the first time, all four parts come together: Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung. That’s around 15 hours of extraordinary music over the course of a week, the way Wagner intended it to be seen. It also marks the 150th anniversary of the Ring’s completion.
2. A new conductor takes the baton
Antonio Pappano conducted the individual instalments, and now he hands over to Jakub Hrůša for the complete cycle. Hrůša calls it one of the greatest challenges of his artistic life and says he has a profound love for Wagner’s musical language. Director Barrie Kosky adds that nothing in opera compares to experiencing the overwhelming intensity of Wagner’s world in a single week.
3. A world-class Wagnerian cast
Many of the original singers return. Christopher Maltman sings Wotan, Elisabet Strid is Brünnhilde, Andreas Schager is Siegfried, and Stanislas de Barbeyrac and Natalya Romaniw are Siegmund and Sieglinde. They’re joined by Leigh Melrose as Alberich, Soloman Howard as Fafner and Hunding, and Mika Kares as Hagen, along with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and, in Götterdämmerung, the Royal Opera Chorus.
4. Four chances to see the full cycle
The cycle runs four times across October 2027. Das Rheingold plays on 4, 11, 18 and 25 October; Die Walküre on 5, 12, 19 and 27 October; Siegfried on 7, 14, 21 and 29 October; and Götterdämmerung on 10, 17 and 24 October and 1 November. Be warned, these are long evenings: Götterdämmerung alone lasts around six hours and ten minutes including two intervals. Productions are sung in German with English surtitles and are suitable for ages 12+, with some scenes of nudity and violence.
5. Plan ahead for tickets
General booking opens at 10am on Wednesday 17 March 2027, with prices announced before then. Friends and Patrons of the Royal Opera House get priority booking from 12 January 2027. A complete Ring is a rare event, and demand is likely to be high, so if this is on your bucket list, it’s worth becoming a member or setting a reminder now.
Tickets and info
Der Ring des Nibelungen: The Complete Cycle
Royal Opera House, Bow Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DD
4 October – 1 November 2027
Priority booking for members from 12 January 2027 | General sale 10am, Wednesday 17 March 2027
Nearest station: Covent Garden