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In January 2023 the Royal Opera House disclosed that its partnership with BP had ended after 33 years. BP had sponsored the Royal Opera House (ROH) since 1988, most recently with a five year sponsorship deal which began in 2018.
- BP has sponsored the ‘BP Big Screen’ broadcasts that took place annually across the UK. The Big Screens offer BP a valuable opportunity to boost its brand, with photos of opera-goers wearing free BP-branded merchandise posted widely across social media.
- BP has often invited government ministers to attend opera performances as its VIP guests, an opportunity to maintain close relationships with policy-makers.
- Executive Director of the ROH Alex Beard (formerly Deputy Director of Tate when it too was sponsored by BP) has been keen to tout the institution’s green credentials while overlooking the ethical conflict created by a sponsorship deal with Big Oil. The ROH’s Environmental Policy says that, “The climate crisis is the most important issue facing the globe today… It is the ambition of the Royal Opera House to be a leader in environmental sustainability and to act as a catalyst for positive change in our industry.”
- Former BP CEO John Browne has sat on the Royal Opera House’s Board since 2020 and its ‘Finance and Commercial Committee’. Its Chair until 2017, now the ROH’s Honorary Vice President, Sir Simon Robey, counted BP as one of his boutique banking firm’s major clients, advising BP on the $10.5bn acquisition of shale assets from BHP Group in 2018.
