London Family | 28 – 31 October 2026, from 12pm
To celebrate 25 years of Barbie in the Nutcracker, Barbie and The Royal Ballet are opening a free, four-day pop-up for families at the Royal Opera House this October half term. Here are five reasons to drop in.
1. It’s free, with no booking needed
The pop-up is in the Ground Floor Cafe and opens from 12pm daily from 28 to 31 October. Families can simply drop in, which makes it an easy half-term treat if you’re already in Covent Garden.
2. A Barbie passport trail
Each child gets their own Barbie passport to stamp as they complete an interactive activity trail. There’s a Barbie in the Nutcracker photo opportunity, a colouring table with activity sheets and puzzles, and a chance to write wishes on a postcard and post it in the Nutcracker post-box.
3. Crafts, dress-up and storytelling
Extra activities include arts and crafts, dress-up and storytelling sessions. These are also free, but you need to book in advance on the Royal Ballet and Opera website, so it’s worth reserving early.
4. See the new Netflix special first
The pop-up includes exclusive screenings of the reimagined Barbie in the Nutcracker animated special before it lands on Netflix on 1 November. Those are bookable too, and likely to be popular.
5. A taste of The Nutcracker
It’s a lovely introduction to ballet before The Royal Ballet’s The Nutcracker returns from 3 December to 13 January. A limited-edition Barbie x Royal Ballet collection also arrives in the shop on 23 October, with t-shirts, tote bags, a ballet shoe keyring and a Christmas jumper.
Visit
Barbie in the Nutcracker Pop-Up
Ground Floor Cafe, Royal Opera House, Bow Street, London WC2E 9DD
Wednesday 28 – Saturday 31 October 2026, from 12pm daily
Free | Drop in, with some activities bookable
Nearest station: Covent Garden