Jill Ogai_Marcus Morelli Credit_Pierre Toussaint 2025

A celebration of joy, love, connection and tradition. The Australian Ballet at its most inspired.

The Australian Ballet today unveiled its inspiring 2026 season, a sweeping program that transports audiences into worlds of wonder, romance, and imagination. Under the visionary artistic direction of David Hallberg, the Company will present landmark Australian premieres, beloved classics, exclusive international works and exciting new collaborations, continuing to redefine ballet for a new era and new audiences. 

From timeless fairytales and iconic love stories to daring contemporary creations, the season celebrates the diversity and power of ballet, honouring tradition while forging new creative ground that deepens our connection to story, place and each other.  

The year begins with Signature Works, a special showcase of some of the Company’s most treasured ballets, performed at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre. From there, the season spans continents and generations, with a richly layered program that speaks to ballet’s evolving role in modern culture.  

Lilla Harvey Credit_Pierre Toussaint 2025

The mainstage season opens with Flora, a landmark collaboration between The Australian Ballet and Bangarra Dance Theatre choreographed by Mirning woman Frances Rings, Artistic Director and Co-CEO of Bangarra Dance Theatre. Premiering in Melbourne before moving to Sydney, this bold new full-length work is the most significant collaboration to date, with an ensemble of over 35 dancers drawn from both companies. Flora marks a new chapter in Australian dance performance, an evocative meeting and deep connection of cultures, movement and storytelling.  

At the heart of the season lies the greatest love story ever told. John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet returns in all its sweeping, heartbreaking beauty – a richly choreographed adaptation of Shakespeare’s most enduring tale of passion and fate. Touring Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, this beloved classic captures the soaring highs of love and devastating lows of loss, brought to life through some of ballet’s most breathtaking pas de deux.  

In a thrilling first for Australian audiences, Tony Award-winning choreographer Justin Peck brings Copland Dance Episodes to Melbourne and Sydney, making its debut outside New York City. Peck’s dynamic and joyful choreography redefines tradition and identity, underscoring The Australian Ballet’s commitment to bold, contemporary international premieres.  

The Sleeping Beauty (Haydée) Miriam Kacerova Credit_Bernhard Weis

Melbourne audiences will be treated to an exclusive season of Marcia Haydée’s The Sleeping Beauty, a timeless fairytale performed by The Stuttgart Ballet, presented by The Australian Ballet. A major coup for the company, this is a rare opportunity to experience one of Europe’s leading ballet companies on Australian soil. Their acclaimed interpretation of this timeless fairytale adds to The Australian Ballet’s continued invitation for the great ballet companies to perform in Australia.    

To close the year with festive tradition and magic, Sir Peter Wright’s timeless production of The Nutcracker returns to the Sydney Opera House following its sold-out 2024 season. This beloved family classic enchants with dazzling costumes, whimsical characters, and a feast of festive wonder, making it the perfect finale to a season of imagination and beauty. 

The Australian Ballet’s Artistic Director David Hallberg said, “The 2026 season reflects our commitment to presenting ballet in its expressive depth for life-long devotees, newcomers and everyone in between. With five classical and contemporary works, some timeless and others ground-breaking, this season is dedicated to our audiences and celebrates the many ways ballet inspires, moves and connects us all. Season 2026 is about creating moments of wonder and connection that resonate long after the curtain falls.” 

“Season 2026 promises to reignite cherished memories and create vivid new ones. It is a season of collaboration and cultural dialogue, most notably through Flora, our groundbreaking partnership with Bangarra Dance Theatre. By bringing together diverse voices and perspectives, we honour ballet’s rich heritage while shaping a future that is vibrant, relevant and inclusive for all who experience it. I’m incredibly proud to present this season to our audiences. We made it with you all in mind,” added Hallberg.  

Signature Works is a celebration of the most treasured works from across The Australian Ballet’s repertoire. Showcasing iconic pas de deux and modern masterpieces by choreographers who have shaped dance through the generations, the program is performed with live accompaniment from Music Director and Conductor Jonathan Lo and Orchestra Victoria. 

ill Ogai Credit_Pierre Toussaint 2025

Flora is a powerful world premiere choreographed by Mirning woman, Frances Rings, Artistic Director and Co-CEO of Bangarra Dance Theatre, with an original score composed by Kalkadungu man and internationally renowned composer William Barton, dynamic costumes from Meriam Samsep woman Grace Lillian Lee, set design by Elizabeth Gadsby, lighting design by Karen Norris, and Cultural Consultancy from Matthew Doyle, a descendant of the Muruwari Aboriginal nation.  

This evocative work explores Australia’s native flora through a profound cultural, environmental and spiritual lens. Crafted with deep respect for Country, it offers an urgent, poetic conversation on ecology and identity, blending Bangarra’s storytelling with The Australian Ballet’s artistry into a moving expression of connection and renewal. 

John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet, often hailed as ballet’s greatest love story, remains a cornerstone of The Australian Ballet’s repertoire, delivering a visceral and poignant portrayal of Shakespeare’s tragic lovers. Revived in 2022, the ballet captures youthful passion and vulnerability with Prokofiev’s unforgettable score and Jürgen Rose’s sumptuous designs. It continues to resonate across generations through its timeless exploration of love, conflict and loss.  

Copland Dance Episodes bursts with vibrant colour, rhythm and joy, celebrating American spirit of dance. Tony Award-winning choreographer Justin Peck sets the work to Aaron Copland’s sweeping orchestral music, enhanced by bold designs from Choctaw-Cherokee artist Jeffrey Gibson. Following his acclaimed 2022 Australian debut with Everywhere We Go, Peck returns with this visually striking and emotionally uplifting masterpiece. 

Renowned as the crown jewel of classical ballet, The Sleeping Beauty enchants audiences with sweeping romance, grand spectacle and the timeless fairytale of good versus evil. Marcia Haydée’s celebrated Stuttgart Ballet production breathes psychological depth into iconic characters like Aurora, Carabosse, and the Lilac Fairy. Set to Tchaikovsky’s glorious score, this lavish staging offers Melbourne audiences a rare glimpse of one of Europe’s most distinguished companies performing a masterpiece of enduring beauty. 

The Nutcracker invites audiences into a timeless tale of wonder, magic and transformation. Young Clara’s dreamlike journey brings toys to life, snowflakes to dance and a valiant Nutcracker Prince to lead an unforgettable adventure. Sir Peter Wright’s glittering production dazzles the senses with opulent sets and costumes by John F. Macfarlane, all set to Tchaikovsky’s luminous score. A crown jewel of The Australian Ballet’s repertoire, this beloved classic is steeped in tradition and continues to enchant audiences of all ages. 

In addition to its mainstage seasons, The Australian Ballet will present a range of community engagement initiatives throughout 2026. The National Tour will travel to Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales and the Northern Territory, bringing world-class ballet to regional centres, while the Company’s education program continues to inspire young audiences with performances and workshops in schools across the country. 

FOR TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION

ON SALE DATES: 

Principal Packages: 16 September  

Create Your Own Packages:14 October  

Single Tickets: 20 November  

Jill Ogai_Elijah Trevitt Credit_Pierre Toussaint 2025

About The Australian Ballet  

The Australian Ballet has been inspiring audiences since 1962 and is Australia’s national ballet company. Enriched by our country’s most talented dancers, we tour far and wide each year and have reached acclaim at home and abroad for our uniquely Australian style, blending athleticism, authenticity, and artistic warmth.  

Moving effortlessly between the great classical works and the best of contemporary dance, including new commissions by choreographers from around the world, The Australian Ballet offers the nation transformative experiences through the power of our performances. The Australian Ballet presents performances each year in capital cities, regional venues and schools around the country. It is the resident ballet company of the Sydney Opera House and Melbourne’s Regent Theatre. The Company regularly tours to major international cities and theatres.  

The Australian Ballet is based in Melbourne at The Primrose Potter Australian Ballet Centre, which also accommodates The Australian Ballet School. It provides facilities and services to the school and the two institutions enjoy a close relationship, including collaboration on artistic projects such as our national tours.  

The Company hosts annual Education and Outreach programs, including workshops for pre-school, primary and secondary students, creative residencies and performances for schools across the country. The Education and Outreach team deliver professional development designed for teachers and community leaders across Australia. The online resource EduHub provides more information on the Company’s productions, designed to enhance and support curricular outcomes.  

A not-for-profit public company limited by guarantee, The Australian Ballet is funded primarily through its own commercial and fundraising activities. It also receives funding from the Commonwealth, NSW and Victorian Governments, through Creative Australia. The Australian Ballet’s wholly owned subsidiary, Orchestra Victoria, provides orchestral services for Opera Australia and Victorian Opera as well as for The Australian Ballet. 

Jill Ogai_Marcus Morelli Credit_Pierre Toussaint 2025

2026 SEASON DATES

Signature Works

Melbourne

28 February – 1 March

Regent Theatre

Flora
Melbourne
12 – 21 March
Regent Theatre
With Orchestra Victoria and Bangarra Dance Theatre

Sydney
7 – 18 April
Sydney Opera House
Joan Sutherland Theatre
With Opera Australia Orchestra and Bangarra Dance Theatre

Romeo and Juliet
Sydney
24 April – 13 May
Sydney Opera House
Joan Sutherland Theatre
With Opera Australia Orchestra

Melbourne
6 – 16 June
Regent Theatre
With Orchestra Victoria

Brisbane
15 – 22 August
Queensland Performing Arts Centre
Lyric Theatre
With Queensland Symphony Orchestra

Copland Dance Episodes
Melbourne
23 June – 2 July
Regent Theatre
With Orchestra Victoria

Sydney
6 – 21 November
Sydney Opera House
Joan Sutherland Theatre
With Opera Australia Orchestra

The Sleeping Beauty

Melbourne
9 – 17 October
Regent Theatre
With Orchestra Victoria
Performed by Stuttgart Ballet

Presented by The Australian Ballet

The Nutcracker

Sydney
28 November – 16 December
Sydney Opera House
Joan Sutherland Theatre
With Opera Australia Orchestra

Copland Dance Episodes (Peck) Elijah Trevitt_Larissa Kiyoto-Ward_Lilla Harvey_Isobelle Dashwood_Jett Ramsay Credit_Pierre Toussaint 2025