London Coliseum Seating Plan
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Four levels, from the ground up: Stalls, Dress Circle, Upper Circle and Balcony, with Boxes on the first three. Row letters repeat on every level, so a "row F" ticket means nothing until you know which level it's on.
The thing that decides the rest: the circles here wrap round the Stalls rather than projecting over them. The Dress Circle overhangs no seats at all, which is unusual for a theatre this size.
Should I sit in the Stalls or the Circle?
The Stalls if the prices are close, because you're nearer and nothing overhangs you. Go to a circle when it's cheaper, and take a side seat rather than a central one: they're closer to the stage and usually cost less.
The levels at a glance
- Stalls, rows A to Q. The best seats in the building are the centre of B to H, and the back rows are fine because nothing hangs over them
- Dress Circle, rows A to L. The front rows see everything; the ends are closer to the stage than the middle and cheaper
- Upper Circle, rows A to L. Nearer than it looks and often where the value is, but tight on legroom and stairs only
- Balcony, rows A to K. The cheapest seats and the highest. Skip the front two rows; row K is the one to have
- Boxes, on the lower three levels. Book the rear Stalls ones for a private seat with a clear view; the side ones give up some of the stage for the privacy
Booking an opera? Surtitles
English National Opera usually sing in English, and every performance here still has English surtitles on a screen above the middle of the stage, so check you'll be able to see it before you book. Now and then an opera is sung in its original language, and then the screen is the only way to follow it. It shows the sung words, not spoken dialogue.
The front three rows of the Dress Circle and most of the Upper Circle, rows A to J, read it comfortably. From the front three rows of the Stalls you can see it, but you'll be looking up for most of the night. It can't be seen at all from the last four rows of the Dress Circle, H to L, or the last two of the Upper Circle, K and L.
When you book, any seat with a restricted view of the screen has an 'i' next to it. Visiting opera companies use the same screen, but for a ballet or a musical none of this matters.
Taller? The best seats for legroom
The Stalls have the best legroom, row A apart. In the Dress Circle, row A is tight across most of the row and the centre from B to K is comfortable. The Upper Circle is tight for anyone over about 5ft 5. At the top, Balcony row K is higher than the rows in front and takes taller people better than anything else up there.
Step-free seating
Stalls row O, Dress Circle row K, Balcony row K and the Boxes at the back of the Stalls. The lift doesn't reach the Upper Circle. The access route has the detail.
The seating plan
The plan shows all four levels and the Boxes. Tap a section to see what's left on your date and what it costs, then pick your seat from there.
Call us on 020 7193 9050 if you'd rather talk it through with someone.
Seating Plan FAQs
What are the best seats at the London Coliseum?
The centre of the Stalls, rows B to H. Then the front of the Dress Circle, and for an opera Dress Circle rows A to C, which read the surtitles most comfortably. If price matters more than a square-on view, the ends of the Dress Circle and Upper Circle are closer to the stage than the middle and cost less.
Is the Dress Circle better than the Stalls at the London Coliseum?
Usually not. The Stalls are closer and have nothing above them, so we'd take them at the same price. The Dress Circle wins for an opera if the alternative is the front three rows of the Stalls, and its ends win on value.
Are there bad seats at the London Coliseum?
A few to know about: the front two rows of the Balcony, which have a rail across the view; Dress Circle row A, which has almost no legroom; and for an opera, the back of the Dress Circle and Upper Circle, which can't see the surtitles. The rest is a question of distance rather than obstruction.