Birmingham Royal Ballet’s 2025-26 season has been a tremendous success so far with a 30% increase on ticket sales from the last record-breaking season in 2019, demonstrating the demand for world-class ballet is back to pre-Covid attendance numbers.
The 2026-27 season announcement from Birmingham Royal Ballet comes hot on the heels of the company’s most successful run ever of The Nutcracker in Birmingham, and just as excitement builds for the upcoming national tour of Carlos Acosta’s vibrant production of Don Quixote. Originally premiered in 2022 amid the lingering effects of the Covid pandemic, this joyful revival kicks off at Birmingham Hippodrome on 12 February 2026. The tour then heads to The Lowry in Salford (5–7 March), Theatre Royal Plymouth (18–21 March), Mayflower Theatre in Southampton (15–18 April), and finally Sadler’s Wells in London (23–25 April).
For selected performances in Birmingham, the company will welcome guest dancers Siphesihle November and Genevieve Penn Nabity from the National Ballet of Canada, fresh from their own staging of the production in 2024. This sun-drenched reimagining promises entertainment for all ages, bringing fresh energy to the classic tale of love, adventure, and mischief.
Next season sees the return of Sir Peter Wright and Galina Samsova’s perennially popular Swan Lake, one of several celebrations in his 100th year. The season opens at Birmingham Hippodrome on 23 September where it will play until 3 October before moving to London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre 28 – 31 October.
Birmingham Royal Ballet’s cherished production of The Nutcracker returns to Birmingham Hippodrome for the holiday season, delighting audiences from 20 November to 12 December 2026. As there are no performances scheduled at the Royal Albert Hall this year, the company will then turn its complete attention to the highly anticipated world premiere of The Maiden of Venice in spring 2027.
Following the World Premiere in Birmingham (20 – 27 Feb), the production will tour to Theatre Royal Plymouth (11 – 13 March), Sunderland Empire (18 – 20 March), The Lowry, Salford (31 March – 2 April) and Southampton Mayflower (14 – 17 April).
The Maiden of Veniceis Carlos Acosta’s groundbreaking reimagining of the 19th-century classic, La Bayadère. The creation of this production is an important development for Birmingham Royal Ballet. The Company has never had a full-length La Bayadère in its repertory and performing it will showcase the virtuosity of the current dancers.
La Bayadère is extremely important in Ballet history, not least because of the incredibly beautiful and technically challenging Kingdom of the Shades scene. In recent times, the original narrative has become problematic, in both its themes and its recognised cultural appropriation. By moving the time and place from ancient India to Renaissance Venice, these sensitivities are removed in favour of the universal messages and richness of this precious work of art. This new setting is being brought to life through set and costume designer Anna Fleischle’s stunning designs with lighting design by Lucy Carter and new arrangements of Minkus’s score by Gavin Sutherland.
Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet, Carlos Acosta said, “I am so thrilled that we will be touring this new production. Since arriving at BRB five years ago I have always had a vision of re-making La Bayadère. It is such an important ballet – to me personally, but also to the sector and to audiences. I understand why it has become problematic, but I feel passionate about not allowing it to be buried or to be, in effect, cancelled. There are so many reasons why moving it to Renaissance Venice works so well for the storytelling, and I am so happy that my company of amazing dancers will have the opportunity to perform this new version.’
Also in spring 2027, BRB2 will perform a brand-new work created specifically for them. Further details and dates to be announced. Meanwhile for spring this year BRB2 takes to the road with Carlos Acosta’s Ballet Celebration visiting Cheltenham (14 – 16 May) and Hall for Cornwall (20 May) for the first time before travelling to Northampton Royal and Derngate (23 May) and, just announced, a return to New Theatre, Peterborough (29 May).
More announcements for the 2026-27 Season will follow later in the year. Visit https://www.brb.org.uk/ for the latest.
