The ENO was established in its current form in 1974; in previous incarnations it was known as the Vic-Wells and then later Sadler-Wells Opera Company.
In 1968, the ENO (then Sadler-Wells) moved into the London Coliseum, London's largest and best equipped theatre dating from 1904.
In 1984, the ENO was the first British opera company to tour the United States. In 1990, the ENO was the first major foreign opera company to tour the former Soviet Union.
The ENO currently mounts twenty productions a year with an annual audience of 450,000.
As the Coliseum is being extensively renovated, the ENO is currently performing in the Barbican.