Designer Paul Smith and the Royal Opera House have announced a partnership that will see the iconic London venue get a mini-makeover for Christmas.
Described as a “festive partnership,” the idea is two stalwarts of British design and culture are getting together to bring a hit of Christmas spirit to a location has a reputation for being a bit serious and austere.
Sir Paul Smith himself will work on the Christmas tree that will form the centrepiece of the Royal Opera House’s decorations. And this concept is all about “the act of wrapping and unwrapping,” which is prescient enough given how many shoppers there will be within 100m of the Royal Opera house throughout November and December.
“I have been a part of Covent Garden for many years, visiting in the early days when the fruit and vegetable market was still here and then opening my shop in 1979," says Paul Smith.
"At that time there were no other businesses around except the wonderful Royal Opera House, so it’s been my neighbour and a personal interest of mine for a long time,”
The final look will launch on November 6th. And for now? We just have an illustrator’s impression of the intended fruits of the partnership.
You’re not going to need tickets to a Royal Opera House performance to check this out, as it’s all happening in the foyer by the looks of this preview. Keep it in mind if you find yourself wandering around Covent Garden this November and December.
“This partnership is about sharing our love of creativity by opening up the Royal Opera House in a fresh and festive way - inviting everyone to experience the magic of performance, no ticket required,” says Sophie Wybrew-Bond, the Royal Ballet and Opera’s CCO.
If you’d like a much closer look into the Royal Opera House, you can pick up tickets to a behind-the scenes tour. It lasts roughly 75 minutes and tickets costs £22. Or (afteroon) Tea and Tour packages start at £120 per person.
Christmas in London kicks off proper with the lighting of the city’s street lights. The iconic Regent Street lights tally up with the Royal Opera House’s revamp, firing up on November 6th. Get it in the diary.
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