This is a huge theater, very deep back to the rear of the Orchestra and wide. We saw The Great Gadsby mid June 2025, and the theater was not really filled, yet we just stayed in the back because the view was fine. Beautiful theater, restrooms on the main floor which is always nice. Sound was ok. On a strip with so much going on, lots of restaurants, lights & folks in the streets. It's probably nice to sit closer, like mid Orch, as the floor is so deep. read more

Spectacular venue to watch a musical in London! I recently visited to watch The Great Gatsby (which is a STELLAR production in this gorgeous space). I had a seat in the Dress Circle row A at the end of the row and it was cozy... if you're tall it might be a bit tight but that is the joy of this theater... worth experiencing! I was in awe of all the features and interior, it made the full experience spectacular and the acoustics were top top notch. I did manage to get a glass of wine at intermission before the lines got busy so I didn't have issues there but I could see how this might be challenging for other guests. read more

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This may be the most beautiful theatre I have ever visited, and I have visited theatres around the world! My husband surprised me with some amazing last-minute tickets to the Great Gatsby on our recent trip to London, and our time at the London Coliseum was a highlight! This theatre is just stunning and sumptuous from the outside to the interior. The seats were comfortable and roomy, the decor just fabulous, and the layout so convenient. The bar staff were the friendliest of all the theatres we visited on this trip, and I have to say - this theatre also boasts the best selection and availability of women's rest rooms! It was the perfect backdrop for the show (Great Gatsby), which was exceptionally cast. We enjoy visiting the stage door after shows, and I also have to callout that this was one of the most organized and most engaging staff/cast experiences I've witnessed. read more

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Love old theaters that have been preserved. Restrooms on first floor for sure. I saw handicap RR up one floor. I didn't go higher, but there are 4 seating levels with boxes. Big orchestra pit. Chariot decoration hidden behind the modern lighting in front of stage. read more

London Coliseum - Interior - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

Well, this was the second time that I saw Brian May on stage and it was a total fluke because he doesn't always appear at the end of We Will Rock You. Yeah, it was a pretty good theatre, sort of easy to find, if you happen to know were it is. It was also cool because Ben Elton decided to stand out the front as well. Mind you, the crowds were horrendous, but still, it was a pretty awesome experience. read more

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This is a beautiful old theater, over a hundred years old. I wouldn't necessarily recommend seeing a play just to see the interior, but if there's a play you want to see, this is a great place to see it. There's a big done and every surface around the stage and on the balconies has decorative elements. I saw My Fair Lady here and the acoustics were great, it was easy to see the stage, and the performances themselves were amazing. Granted when I went, the building was covered in scaffolding, but I won't hold renovations against it. I just wish the gift shop had things that said "London Coliseum" instead of just play swag as I was just as impressed by the structure and would have loved a souvenir of the theater. Overall this is a very impressive space that really enhances the show itself. read more

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We saw My Fair Lady last night, and had balcony seats. The view was pretty good, for bargain priced tickets. Depending on how much you want to pay for tickets, I would recommend considering other seating options, because there isn't enough leg room in the balcony seats. We still had a wonderful time just experiencing the thrill of attending. The theater is gorgeous and ornate. All staff were very friendly amd helpful. Acoustics were outstanding. We had a lovely night. read more

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Great service - boy do they know how to get people in and out. Also seats were well arranged so all had a good view.

I've now been twice and seen two shows at The London Coliseum, these were 'Chess The Musical' 2018 and 'Hairspray The Musical' 2021. Both amazing shows. I was really lucky to have front row seats for both of these shows. I'm not trying to show off by saying that, but I will say they were totally worth the price. The theatre one of the most beautiful theatres in London, it has a lot of history to it. The seats have really good leg room and auditorium is stunning. The front of house team are amazing, very professional in both productions and of course with this current production of 'Hairspray' and working in these (COVID) times, they went above and beyond to keep them, the cast and all of us watching safe. If you're lucky to see a show here, or just have the chance to visit, I highly recommend it. read more

London Coliseum - This was the view from my seat at 'Hairspray' - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

Since we had been to London many-a-times, we decided this go around we would go to London and do some 'Christmas-y' things we had never done. For me, that naturally included The Nutcracker - my all-time favorite ballet. So, off we went and found ourselves at the London Coliseum. We found the theater to be absolutely beautiful. So ornate, traditional, with specks of modernity thrown in. Sure, what do we know....how cultured can two Angelenos be? But in our travels around the world, we've been to many a theater and we still thought this was extremely beautiful. And the view truly was not bad at all. We, by no means, had 'expensive' tickets and felt like we could see the stage and the beautiful ballerinas just fine. The staff were helpful and polite when we were confused about where to pick up our tickets, what to do when we didn't bring the correct credit card, etc. The facilities were all beautiful, clean, and the ice cream everyone told us about... well, thanks for that little tidbit of information! All in all, we had a wonderful time at the ballet. Heck, even my hubby enjoyed himself! read more

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My falling in love with the Coliseum, home to the English National Opera, started as I observe the fusion between the classic and the modern. Initially, I mistook the place and drew comparison with Royal Opera House and found it more for the Royal pride then theatre performances. It is indeed the largest theatre with 2359 seats in London (c.f. 2,268 in ROH). Coliseum's interior deco probably attracts more eyes with its gold and grand circles (widest proscenium arch in London). For non British Europeans and me, Chinese, it is an acquired taste. My 1st experience w/ Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte... a bit awkward. However, the recent performance, i.e. Don Giovanni and Faust, offered me some new feeling and perspective... a musical stage beyond the vocal empowerment. They're singers and dancers, often with new twists. It is the integration of the whole experience marks the Avant Garde. It sustains its vision that opera should be for everyone through an innovative and dynamic programme, created by imaginative stage directors and designers from across the arts and performed by leading artists. For example, one can much relate Jersey boys to Faust from the Tony Award-winning director Des McAnuff'. I'm grateful to have some theatre pro friends to give guidance and accompany, i.e. Emillie W, and Chen-en. read more

London Coliseum - London Collisseum Full House - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

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I've been to the Coliseum a few times recently - once up on the balcony to see Sunset Boulevard, once on a behind-the-scenes tour, and finally today in the stalls to see Tristan & Isolde. The quality of the productions is amazing, with performers at the top of their game. The sets I've seen aren't West End elaborate, but that may be down to the shows I've seen, and also the fact that every set must be completely dismantled and taken away in lorries every time they switch shows (so basically every day, as opera singers do not tend to perform more than one day in a row, but obviously the theatre can't sit idle!) ENO performs in English almost exclusively, and also has surtitles, so it's really easy to follow the music if you aren't familiar with it. I'd highly recommend the behind-the-scenes tour! It's £10, and is full of information and is really interesting. Unfortunately they do tend to be at 11am on a weekday, and not all that frequent when the big productions are on - keep an eye on their website. Seats in the balcony are small and tilt slightly and are generally quite uncomfortable - but cheap. (From my tour - the seats are actually listed in the balcony so they can't be replaced! They don't think they're original by any means but old enough that we're stuck with them). All seats should have a decent view, except maybe the first row of the balcony due to the safety rail (another tour note - the seating is all cantilevered so there aren't any pillars to block sight lines). The stalls are much, much more comfortable and provide a great view. But considering the Sunset Boulevard tickets we had in the balcony were £12 each, and the row N of the stalls for the opera today were £145 each, I think I'm quite happy to be in the balcony! It's a beautiful place full of history and well worth catching a show or having a tour. read more

London Coliseum - View from nosebleeds - balcony F 51 - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

WOW! This theatre is amazing and worth seeing on its own. I was in awe of the decedent box seats to details on the roof. I went there to see my first ballet The Nutcracker by the National English Ballet. The orchestra was amazing. I had seats in the balcony (a hike up the stairs to the top) that look right into the band pit and still had a full view of the stage. I did find the seats uncomfortable on my back and when exiting the theatre was a lot of congestion. read more

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We went to the Coliseum to see Glenn Close in Sunset Boulevard. Terrific, one of the best musical productions I've seen. Amazing cast, brilliant orchestra and the staging was one of the most elegantly simple yet creative sets I've ever seen. But on to the theatre itself. I'd never been here before, but it has to be the most visually stunning theatre I've ever been to. We were up in the balcony, so perhaps this gave me a better viewpoint to look at the actual theatre itself. It's just so beautiful, in the kind of fake-Roman styling. It's hard to believe that the design work dates from 1905, except then you have to remember that no-one would ever create something like this in the modern era. You'd be laughed at for suggesting a theme. The seats are a little unusual up in the balcony, in that they're only kind of half depth so you feel like you're perching on it with your bottom. But it does give the illusion of more leg room, even if it's required for more of your leg than usual. The capacity of this place is immense, and despite the gradient of the balcony, it didn't feel like one of those cramped dark balconies I've sat in other theatres. Love the place, would happily come back and I'm very pleased that they take a hard line on people who are late - some places let you in after a song but at the Colosseum you can only enter at the interval. So that avoids the obnoxious person who shuffles through two rows in front of you some twenty minutes into the performance. BTW, since I couldn't do this joke anywhere else, I'll do it here. I think it's only Glenn Close in the stalls. In the balcony, it's Glenn Far. Yeah, I'm not going to be hired for stand up anytime soon, am I? read more

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Bought tickets to see La Boheme (last minute, day of the show at TKTS). We had 3rd row seats (on the left side of the stage). Opera was nice (but was in English), which was a little disappointing). Coliseum was nice... old, historic theater. Great to catch a show while on vacation, and you can't beat the location. read more

London Coliseum - Interior - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

A beautiful big theatre. My seat (stalls B20) couldn't be better in the middle of the second row. I loved the production of Man of La Mancha. Picking up tickets from the box office was a breeze. read more

Not my first trip to the Coliseum and on this occasion I was here to see the English National Opera perform Madam Butterfly. The building itself is opulent and splendid and the perfect setting for opera as it's grandeur adds to the whole wonderful experience. We were sat in the Gods and It was a very hot and humid Tuesday evening so the stairs did take their toll on my when finding my seat. I did discover the lift during the first interval (there were two) so that helped with proceedings. There are bars and plenty of seating conveniently placed throughout the venue so, no mater where you are seated, you will have somewhere close to perch during the interval. I almost feel that those in the cheap seats have the best option as there is an atrium like area at the top of the building that is quite simply fabulous. I would happily hang out there even without catching a show. There are some really interesting snack options too. The cheap seats... well they are cheap for a reason. Not much depth to them and quite closely packed together so get prepared to know the people you are seated by. The lady next to me said I smelled lovely and I think she was lucky considering the climate. But yeah, its very intimate though I had a fine view of the stage and the audio was faultless. I did go outside in the intervals and you are meant to take your ticket with you. Something I totally forgot to do. I did a sort of dance to show my unique top and was promised I would be permitted entry again if I dance on the way back. The staff were really lovely on the whole and clearly love working in this environment. The lady in the lift was also quite a hoot. I feel it is worth saying something about the show itself as if a venue consistently puts on good shows it does speak to the venue. Madam Butterfly was an amazing and very emotive show. As per usual the ENO put a new spin on an old tale. This isn't for your traditionalists but they are always so innovative in how they portray a story. Utilising ninja style performers who play part of the set or portray additional characters through puppetry. It was really quite beautiful and what I have come to expect from the ENO and the Coliseum. Highly recommend for a cultured night out! read more

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An absolutely stunning venue to see ballet or opera. The ornate interior and plush red seats hark back to a bygone age, but the performances aim to make the 'snooty' entertainments accessible to a modern audience. This year's Nutcracker was a case in point: the cartoonish costumes avoid the tutu and codpiece stereotype, and the smiles on kids' faces show that ballet can appeal to a younger generation. A great venue, and a great place to test the balletic and operatic waters if you're not sure it'll be to your taste. At the very least you can stare in wonder at the theatre's interior. read more

London Coliseum - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

A really beautiful venue. My boyfriend and I sat gazing at the ceiling for half an hour before the performance started. The lions, the faces, all that gold paint! Stunning. Also, the onsite facilities (bar, etc.) are very good (acceptable prices, even!) with a wide range of drinks and refreshments. read more

London Coliseum - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

Absolutely beautiful theatre with wonderful acoustics. I had seats in the top row of the balcony on the end and had a great sight line with wonderful sound. An all around fantastic experience, plus seeing an opera by the ENO is really worth the time and money. Fantastic production of Partenope. read more

Came in early January to watch Swan Lake. It is a beautiful theatre, we were told that it had recently been done up. There is a lot to see whilst getting seated and waiting for the ballet to start - lots of beautiful pictures, art work and very detailed sculptures. The staff were all very friendly, cheerful and helpful, which was a delight, though we were rushed a bit to leave at the end. Getting drinks was easy and from what I saw, there are two bars. There were enough staff that we didn't have to wait very long to be served. The drinks are given in quite big cups and we were also able to pre-order drinks for the interval. read more

This is a great venue for a night out at the Opera. The theater itself is beautiful, and our seats in the stalls were comfy. Finding this place was easy, given the huge rotating globe that says "Coliseum" on it. Entry was smooth as well, just a quick check of the ticket, no assigned doors for specific seating areas, very efficient! We had a pre-show drink at one of the bars--which are nicely designed with cool backlighting, even if it is a giant advertisement. The prices were fairly reasonable, unless you were drinking champagne like us. I will never understand why a glass of champagne costs double that of a glass of wine, and you get less! Still, it is tasty and we paid it, so I guess that's why--they get away with it. They also take orders for interval drinks to expedite the process. Great idea! We were in the second row and from here the orchestra pit was visible. It wasn't a distraction from the show, but might not be something everyone wants to see. Additionally, to see the subtitles/translation, on a screen above the stage, you do have to strain your neck just a bit. Luckily most English National Opera performances are in English, so once you adjust to the performers, the subtitles aren't absolutely necessary. Though I'm sure performing classic operas in English is a major violation in the eyes of many opera fans. The location is great for grabbing a pre- or post-show meal, with many restaurants just steps from the theater. read more

Once we were happily filled with burrito, my friends and I were able to look forward to a wonderful evening of cultural elegance in this superb venue. Steeped in history and classical prowess, the Coliseum really does take some beating as a venue if you considering visuals alone. It is beautifully decadent, opulently designed with works of art that I could have spent hours staring at. Definitely gives a great first impression. I'm not one to review plays etc on Yelp as such, since I think in this review I should rate the building itself and not a transient production that it holds. But I will mention that I saw Madam Butterfly and was absolutely blown away by the incredibly moving story told by ture opera professionals with increadible set design and musical accompaniment. All merit top marks so far. Loss of 2 stars in this case (yes 2!!) were for the inexplicably uncomfortable chairs that we were stuck in for over 3 hours! Now we got tickets in the balcony so I don't expect top quality velvet, but I equally don't expect a chair that makes you sit up so straight you fill you are about to topple over the balcony. I also don't expect legroom that the most miniscule of children would find is not enough to sit comfortably - ironically your legs are so squashed in to the seat in front you know you won't topple over the edge despite the back of the chair appearing to force you to a dramatic demise. Such a shame for such a beautiful place. read more

Absolutely stunning inside and out. The seats on the Balcony were comfortable enough, and the view was really good despite the distance. Best thing you can spend £23 on, I'd say! We saw Aida. The costumes are fabulous and the spectacle unforgettable. I loved the story too, and hadn't read it on purpose to be surprised. read more

The theatre is just beautiful, a large opulent theatre, where the English National Opera is based. The seats in the stalls were very comfy. We saw Otello, sang in English, although I still prefer opera sang in Italian, as it is much more amazing, as the lyrics does not lend itself to English as much. However, the two leads' performance was really good and in such a superb venue, makes a lovely afternoon or evening out. read more

London Coliseum - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

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Admittedly, I have no idea why this place is called the Coliseum but I know that it is the home of the English National Opera. I got to see a performance for free which is the only reason I'd go here. It's not because it's bad, just because of the atmosphere. Very genteel, very well to do. People were probably looking at us, I don't think we looked quite up to scratch. Oh well, "The Barber of Seville" was really good, we had brilliant seats especially as it was a freebie. I don't really like that they sing in English, I can handle subtitles and I would have much preferred it sung in it's original tongue. But what ENO wants, ENO gets. The ice-cream is phenomenal, definitely go for the lemon sorbet and there's free water if you are ever parched. Be warned if you are late, you won't get your seat until the interval, so don't be late then. read more

This is indeed a beautiful theatre, both from the outside and in. Sadly, as much as I try, I just can not get into opera. The staff were extremely helpful when I made a mistake with my booking. read more

This is a really stunning theatre. I came here to see the ballet Manon last night. The staff were friendly and helpful - especially as I'd had a bit of a caffuffle with my tickets (read: I lost them months ago, and as I had a confirmation, they happily replaced them earlier this week.) Bonus points as they really didn't have to do that. The building is stunning. And huge. Ornate decor and just a brilliant theatre feeling if that makes sense? It's got some history behind it and you get swept away with everything going on. There's also nice people handing out chocs which was a nice bonus. The theatre is actually deceptively huge. We climbed a million stairs to get to the balcony, but it was worth it. The seats are spaced properly, so you don't do that annoying head bobbing thing throughout the show. You can just see! Yay! We were very far back (ten quid tickets from the fabulous lastminute.com) and we had a great time. We didn't stay to the end - ballet isn't for us and there was two intervals! (We left in the second - after two hours of fun twirly dancing). I'm not sure how I'd get with opera either. But, if they're you bag, or you fancy doing something a bit more cultured of an evening, it's well worth checking out. Great place. Great staff. Just wish I'd enjoyed the whole experience more. read more

Came here to watch the Barber of Seville. The balcony seats provide a great view of the stage but the seats are uncomfortable. It feels like you're tilted forward. The venue is regal and enjoyable to see any performance. read more

London Coliseum - Balcony view - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

My very first visit to the Coliseum. Watched Giselle. Absolutely beautiful. Was sitting on the balcony and i swear down that i had never experienced such a uncomfirtable seat....ever!!! The dome and the scene were pretty and the ballet was amazing so....will probably wont give up on it yet hehe. Enjoy:) read more

A gorgeous theatre and a fantastic ballet gala in memory of the world famous Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova! read more

London Coliseum - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

I've been to the ballet twice in London. The first time was at the Royal Opera House and the second was here at the London Coliseum. Even though the ROH is STUNNING, I have to say my second experience was worlds better. It's a really beautiful venue and there don't appear to be any bad seats in the house (there are plenty of BAD seats at the ROH). More than anything else, I really appreciated the staffs diligence when it came to noisy folks. When I went to the ROH I was so excited and the entire experience was ruined by: 1.) people next to me videotaping the entire thing, even though it's 'strictly prohibited'. The bright light and beeping from the video camera was so distracting. 2.) the people in front of us STOOD UP for the entire 3rd act, completely obstructing our view. The ROH staff did nothing at all. Yet at the Coliseum if you even DARE crinkle a plastic wrapper or whisper too loudly, you can bet a member of staff will tap you on the shoulder. I LOVE that. We were able to sit through the entire show without even the slightest disturbance. That really meant a lot to me and it was all thanks to the excellent staff. It sounds simple, but honestly makes a huge difference. read more

Fantastic experience! Great visibility even from less expensive seats! Prices for all budgets! Warm atmosphere! Graceful performances, amazing production, perfect acoustics! The warmest and most pleasant way to spend a night out! read more

Dedicated to Roland Petit and performed by The English National Ballet, this trio of ballets was staged to celebrate one of the greatest choreographers of the 20th century. The opening ballet was L'Arlesienne performed by Erina Takahashi and Esteban Berlanga, it tells the story of a young man tormented by ghosts of his past and following his wedding day, succumbs to his insanity. The second was Le Jeune Homme et la Mort (The Young Man and Death) performed by Anton Lukovkin and Jia Zhang. The third and final ballet was Carmen performed by Anais Chalendard and Daniel Kraus telling the tragic love story between Don Jose and beautiful dancer Carmen. All three performances were beautifully staged and were complimented wonderfully by The Orchestra of The English Ballet conducted by Benjamin Pope. It was a quite magical afternoon of dance and storytelling, all in the stunning surroundings of the historic and prestigious Grade II listed London Coliseum Theatre. http://www.itsnosmallthing.weebly.com read more

Amazing venue & English National Opera really are a fantastic outfit! AMAZING productions & all in English! So you don't even need to read the sur-titles! Saw Verdi's Otello there recently with some mates who hadn't been to the opera before & they absolutely loved it. Stuart Skelton as Otello was mind-blowing & Allan Clayton as Cassio was absolutely hilarious! Pissed for the whole show! Can't recommend this place enough & if you get in there early you can get some really cheap tickets! read more

By far one of the most beautiful and elegant theatres in London. i went to see the ballet recently and was simply stunned by the sheer magnificence of this building. I recommend dress circle seats (i had a front row) which allows a view of the orchestra pit as well as a perfect view of the stage. On my visit the orchestra were simply stunning and the english national ballet dancers were perfection. The costumes and scenery were absolutely spectacular and I was mesmerised throughout. There were 3 intervals for this 3 hour performance of Sleeping Beauty where a bar was available on every floor for champagne, wine beer or even coffee and you could order your next drink and collect it in the areas with your name attached (although 13.50 for a glass of Veuve Cliquot was a bit excessive I thought. Ice cream, theatre binoculars and programs were reasonably priced and were a nice souvenir. (Theatre tip; the steak and co steakhouse offers a free bottle of wine for your meal with your theatre tickets-another great choice) before or after the show. read more

I have seen several productions here at the London Coliseum and really have only enjoyed two. The two I enjoyed were when I was in the stalls and really close to the stage. I just get so much more out of a production when I can see the details. It is very simple to get £10 tickets to performances, but the seats are in the nose bleed section and opera glasses should be a requirement. This is the home of the English National Opera, the idea is to perform classical Operas not in their original language as the composer intended but in English so that the audience can understand the plot. However I still cannot understand them when they sing and still have to read the subtitles. Many of the arias we recognise in the original Italian or German and when sung in English are unrecognisable. The building is absolutely lovely. Go to the bar and stand on the enclosed balcony during the intermission to get a lovely view of London. The building is done in the classical style and is ornately decorated with the largest proscenium arch in London. read more

Visited the Coliseum and saw the Shanghai Opera recently .The main characters consisted of 6 actors and actresses were superb with excellent voices accompanied by a brilliant orchestra. All the Opera and dialogue were in Mandarin. The seats on the dress circle section were all very good although they were high up. The Coliseum is a very impressive venue for all Opera and ballet performances and not to be missed by anyone. read more

Just the most wonderful place for opera & ballet. I have been going for 50 years & it rarely disappoints. Now I'm disabled the staff couldn't be more helpful. read more

This is a lovely theatre, and it puts on some excellent productions. Unlike the Royal Opera House, it has a very firm tradition of making operas accessible to everyone, an ethos reflected in both the pricing and the fact the operas are sung in English. I have enjoyed productions of Aida, Cosi Fan Tutte and Magic Flute, all for less than £15. Bargain! A good place to start if you know nothing about opera and want to give it a try. read more