Covent Garden offers $18 seats

London’s Royal Opera House, fighting accusations of elitism, said Tuesday that some of its most sought-after seats will be sold for just $18, thanks to an arts sponsorship deal.

Opera-lovers will be able to see talents including Placido Domingo, Cecilia Bartoli and Bryn Terfel from the best seats in the house -- which normally cost up to $319 -- under $1.8 million of sponsorship from foreign exchange company Travelex.

The deal will make 100 of the best seats available Monday evenings for about $18, to go on sale an hour and a half before the opera begins. The offer will cover a total of half of all weeks over the next three seasons.