English National Opera is offering its most expensive tickets for free, to Under 21s

13 May 2021, 10:19 | Updated: 13 May 2021, 12:30

Under 21? Enjoy an opera at the London Coliseum for free.
Under 21? Enjoy an opera at the London Coliseum for free. Picture: Getty

By Maddy Shaw Roberts

If you’re under the age of 21, you can grab one of English National Opera’s most expensive stalls seats any night of the week, on the house.

The English National Opera’s groundbreaking free ticket scheme for young people has been extended to include Under 21s, from next season.

Now, every single night the ENO performs, young people can nab a free ticket in any level of the historic London Coliseum, from the Balcony to the most expensive seats in the Stalls.

A few years ago, the opera company made headlines when it offered completely free tickets to Under 18s for weekend performances in the balcony of the Coliseum.

Like many arts organisations, the ENO was eager to open up its audiences to a younger crowd. So, they started giving young people their first opera experience, on the house.

Read more: ENO singers share operatic breathing techniques to aid ‘Long Covid’ recovery

English National Opera make scrubs, masks and hats for London hospitals

The scheme, which had investment from the Arts Council and government Department for Media, Culture and Sport (DCMS), was a huge success.

On top of the free tickets scheme, the ENO is also extending discounts for Under 35s across the entire auditorium. Stalls seats are £35, Dress Circle seats are £25, and Upper Circle seats are just £15.

Plus, the Palladium’s cheapest seats, available for all ages, are frozen for another year at £10.

Last year, the ENO launched an ‘operatic breathing’ scheme to help Long Covid sufferers experiencing breathlessness and anxiety. ENO Breathe has since been rolled out to hundreds of patients in England, with the aim to combat the increasing need for support for those with Long Covid symptoms.

While indoor performances were restricted during the first lockdown, the ENO launched what were considered to be the world’s first drive-in opera performances, which audiences could drive to and watch from their cars.

To get your free tickets to an English National Opera production, head to eno.org on 2 June.