Things to do in South Kensington > Experience > Live Music and Performance > Opera Holland Park
Every summer, a corner of west London is transformed into an operatic stage. Opera Holland Park takes over the gardens of Holland Park with a temporary auditorium beneath a vast white canopy. The setting is unique: nature provides the backdrop, birdsong mingles with overtures, and the evening light shifts as the performance unfolds.
Founded in the 1990s, the company has built a reputation for bold productions that balance classics with lesser-known works. The covered theatre seats around 1,000, large enough for grand opera yet intimate compared to Covent Garden. The open-air atmosphere creates a sense of occasion — more festival than formal house — and the programming often highlights young singers alongside established talent.
For many Londoners, a summer night at Opera Holland Park is as much about the setting as the music. Picnics in the park beforehand, a stroll among the peacocks, then the swell of voices under canvas: it feels like a ritual of the season.
Opera Holland Park Theatre, Ilchester Pl, London W8 6LU
Why We Love It
A unique open-air opera experience in a park setting.
Programming that blends classics with rediscoveries.
A summer tradition for London’s cultural calendar.