Coronavirus may have brought many industries to a halt, but streaming services are booming. From ballet and live music sessions to renowned theatre productions, there’s a plethora of online performances to keep you entertained during lockdown.

Take advantage of the streaming revolution with our round-up of the best that the internet has to offer.

CIRQUE CONNECT BY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL

Experience the extraordinary acrobatic troupe for free via the group’s new digital hub, CirqueConnect. Tune in at 8pm each Friday for the ‘60-minute Specials’, which showcase some seriously impressive sequences and unforgettable moments from past shows. The previous sessions have brought us exclusive footage from Cirque du Soleil KÀ, “O”, Alegría and more, all of which are still available to stream on CirqueConnect and come highly recommended by us. Don’t miss tonight’s streaming of Cirque du Soleil Zed at 8pm ET (1am BST).

Visit the CirqueConnect hub to watch.

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE – #OURHOUSETOYOURHOUSE

Though the iconic Covent Garden arts institution may be closed, the Royal Opera House is keeping you entertained at home with its #OurHouseToYourHouse series, offering full-length ballet and opera productions and musical masterclasses. 

Definitely one for if you’re growing tired of group calls on House Party and fancy yourself some high art, the following shows are yet to be streamed, then will be available on demand on the Royal Opera House website, YouTube and Facebook channels:

– The Metamorphosis, The Royal Ballet – Friday 17 April 7pm

–  Gloriana, The Royal Opera – Friday 24 April, 7pm

–  The Winter’s Tale, The Royal Ballet – Friday 1 May, 7pm 

Stream the upcoming shows here, and in case you missed it, here’s last Friday’s stream of The Royal Ballet’s Handel’s Acis and Galatea:

NATIONAL THEATRE AT HOME

If ballet isn’t your thing, check out some world-class theatre courtesy of the National Theatre’s NT Live programme, in which a vast archive of shows were recorded on film to be screened in cinemas internationally. Cue National Theatre at Home! The project kicked off at the beginning of April with a screening of a popular production each week. 

Head to the National Theatre’s YouTube channel to catch the stream of Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ starring Tamsin Greig on Thursday 23 April, available on demand for one week afterwards.

ROYAL ALBERT HOME

One of London’s most recognised and celebrated concert venues, the Royal Albert Hall is keen to keep people enlivened by hosting exclusive performances and broadcasting directly from artists’ homes as part of the Royal Albert Home series. Previous streams have included performances by singer Rufus Wainwright, cellist and composer Peter Gregson and pianist and composer Alexis Ffrench, which can all be found on the Royal Albert Hall website.

Don’t miss these upcoming live broadcasts:

– Baxter Dury – Friday 17 April, 9pm

– Opera for Kids – Saturday 18 April, 2pm

– Beethoven 250 – Saturday 18 April, 7:30pm

– Sophie Hunger – Sunday 19 April, 7:30pm

– Toby Thompson – Wednesday 22 April, 7:30pm

– Ashley Henry – Thursday 23 April, 8:15pm

– Jazz For Kids – Saturday 25 April, 2pm

– Sea Shambles – Sunday 17 May, 7pm 

Stream the Royal Albert Home sessions here. 

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER: THE SHOWS MUST GO ON!

Courtesy of The Really Useful Group Ltd

The King of musical theatre has spoken and is streaming his much-loved musicals for free online each Friday. Previous weeks have brought us Webber’s famed musicals Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, and tonight it’s The Phantom of the Opera. The bar is set high for the shows to come – clearly this is not to be missed. 

Keep The Shows Must Go On! YouTube channel bookmarked as musicals will be streamed here and will be available to view for 24hours.