The Royal Opera House will host an evening of street sounds R Rainford

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Fancy listening to a concert in the Royal Opera House while lying sprawled on the floor?

How about being handed a torch and shoved in a dark room to watch dancers ­perform in flickering half-light? You can do both next month, when this year’s Deloitte ­Ignite festival kicks off and cutting-edge artists are let loose in the usually off-limits spaces of the venue.

Last year, about 10,000 Londoners flocked to the first Deloitte Ignite, when choreographer Wayne McGregor curated a festival dedicated to the five senses.

This time, the theme is mirrors and illusion, and you’ll get the chance to see dancers surrounded by their reflections, a Twitter opera written by the public, and a huge cross-dressing ball and fashion show hosted by drag artist Jonny Woo.

If you’re not up for all this high-concept mucking about, be dazzled by old-fashioned magic by Pete Firman or head to a ­massive grime gig fronted by ­Wiley and Chipmunk.

“We want to completely open up the Royal Opera House,” says programmer Alison Duthie. There will be lots happening day and night, and most of the events are free. But you’d ­better ­reserve your spot quickly – places are going fast.

Deloitte Ignite, Royal Opera House, 4-6 Sep, Covent Garden, WC2, 020 7304 4000

Get grimy

Grime superstar Wiley headlines this night of forward-looking music which skips from post-garage to “post-jazz”. That’s how last year’s Mercury nominees Portico Quartet describe themselves and, to be fair, they’re pretty avant garde: most of their songs involve a 21st-century instrument called a “hang”. Also on are treacle-voiced Emeli Sandé (who’s a trained doctor, good to know in an emergency) and grime’s fresh hope Chipmunk, who finds out his A-level results today.

5 Sep, 8pm-midnight, £20 (£15 concs)

Twitter Opera

Nuns, talking cats, a birdman and vengeance abound in this freaky opera plotted on Twitter. At Ignite, get a sneak preview from two singers around a piano. Just don’t expect it to make sense – as one line goes: “Hans is asleep in the forest. He is hungry and dreams of a really good seafood restaurant, managed by the ghost of Alfred Hitchcock.”

5 and 6 Sep, free

Drag Ball

The weekend’s grand finale sees catwalk, cabaret and comedy collide, hosted by drag performer Jonny Woo. There’s a tranny fashion show (categories include “London Fashionista at the Opera” and “Pushy Mother with Kids At An Audition”), OTT lip-synching sessions, music from party crew Horse Meat Disco and prizes for best -dressed guests.

6 Sep, 8pm-midnight, £15-£20

Lying-down concert

There’s something special about listening to music lying down, especially if you’re in a humongous concert hall and everyone else is doing the same. “Classical music is still seen as very traditional,” Alison Duthie says. “Having to behave in a certain way can be off-putting. The idea is to turn that on its head and make the event very informal – totally change how you experience a concert.” There will be a huge mat to recline on while listening to the St Paul’s Cathedral Choir sing Allegri’s Miserere (as well as young performers Ashley Wass and Tai Murray playing piano and violin). “It will be very atmospheric,” Duthie promises. “You can look at the ceiling as dusk falls.”

4 Sep, 8pm, free (book quickly)

Mass Pogo

A glitterball throws light on This Moment Is Your Life, a mass disco class hosted by hot new choreographer Ben Wright. This event aims to evoke the giddy joy of pogoing to techno in a club or moonwalking in your living room. Audience members will be invited on stage for a fun dance lesson culminating in an adrenaline-filled performance. But don’t panic – there’s the option to stay seated.

5 and 6 Sep, free

Dance by Torchlight

Only 10 people at a time will able to tiptoe into the Royal Opera House’s Clore Studios for a pair of contrasting dance performances, billed as Sighted. In the first, a dancer makes delicate gestures surrounded by mirrors which bounce around light and movement. In the second, the audience is plunged into darkness and given torches to illuminate a shadowy performance.

5 and 6 Sep, free