Royal Opera Drops Israel Tour Amid Staff Protest
The Royal Opera House has withdrawn its upcoming Tosca production from Israel’s 2026 season in Tel Aviv, following internal pressure over Israel’s actions in Gaza, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency
The decision, announced internally on August 1, came after 182 Royal Ballet and Opera employees signed a letter condemning the institution’s silence on what they called “genocide” against Palestinians and urging a cultural boycott.
Chief executive Alex Beard told staff the production would not be traveling to Israel. The Israeli National Opera has since removed all references to the Royal Opera House from its website.
The open letter demanded a boycott of institutions “that legitimize and economically support a state engaged in mass killing,” and expressed solidarity with a performer who raised a Palestinian flag on stage.
Artists for Palestine UK welcomed the move as an unprecedented response by a leading British cultural institution to staff-led activism.
