Barbie® and The Royal Ballet are launching a free, four-day pop-up experience for children and families at the Royal Opera House. Open from 12pm daily, the pop-up experience is located in the Ground Floor Cafe from 28 to 31 October.
The pop-up is part of a wider partnership between Barbie and The Royal Ballet, which celebrates 25 years of Barbie® in the Nutcracker, and it’s return to the screen with a reimagined animated special in November. It also coincides with the return of The Royal Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House from 3 December 2026 to 13 January 2027.The partnership brings this shared connection to life through content, fashion and live experiences.
Designed with younger audiences and families in mind, the pop-up invites visitors to discover the world of Barbie® in the Nutcracker through playful activities and interactive moments. Families can drop in to the pop-up experience with no booking required. Children will receive their own Barbie passport, which they will be able to stamp as they complete the interactive activity trail, pose for a Barbie® in the Nutcracker photo opportunity, and settle in at a colouring table with Barbie activity sheets and puzzles. They can also take part in a postcard activity, writing their wishes and dreams before posting them through the Nutcracker post-box.
Families can make the most of their visit with a programme of additional activities, which are free but need to be booked in advance. These include arts and crafts, dress up, storytelling sessions and exclusive screenings of the new Barbie® in the Nutcracker Netflix special ahead of its release on 1 November. Tickets are available to book on the Royal Ballet and Opera website.
Visitors can also shop the Barbie | Royal Ballet retail collection as it arrives in-store at the Royal Ballet and Opera Shop on 23 October. The limited-edition range, inspired by the 2001 animated film Barbie® in the Nutcracker, includes t-shirts, a baseball cap, socks, tote bags, a special Barbie edition ballet shoe keyring, a mug, a sticker set and a pin badge set, alongside festive pieces such as a limited-edition Christmas jumper and a Nutcracker ticket Christmas decoration. The collection is also available to purchase online on the Royal Ballet and Opera Shop website.
