BALLET WITH ATTITUDE Kicks Off at Sadler’s Wells
Performances begin with Mary Queen of Scots.
In 2026 Sadler's Wells continues its year-round Ballet with attitude programme, showcasing the range of the genre from beloved classics to contemporary works, including presentations from the best companies in the art form both nationally and internationally.
The ballet offering at Sadler's Wells Theatre kicks off this week with Scottish Ballet presenting Mary, Queen of Scots by choreographer-in-residence Sophie Laplane and co-creator, James Bonas (Thursday 5 - Sunday 8 March). The show was a critical hit at the Edinburgh International Festival in 2025 and features new music by the team behind Coppélia, performed live by the Scottish Ballet Orchestra.
After its sold-out world premiere in New York and hit season at Sadler's Wells in 2023, two-time UK National Dance Awards winner and New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck returns with Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends (Monday 9 - Saturday 14 March).
English National Ballet presents Body & Soul (Thursday 19 - Saturday 28 March) a programme including a new work from Sadler's Wells Associate Artist Crystal Pite and a world premiere by Kameron N. Saunders, who has worked with the likes of Taylor Swift and Chappell Roan.
In April Carlos Acosta presents his revival of Don Quixote (Thursday 23 – Saturday 25 April). The 19th-century masterpiece is danced by Birmingham Royal Ballet accompanied by music played live by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia.
In May Northern Ballet's Gentleman Jack brings the remarkable story of Anne Lister, which inspired a hit TV series, to the stage and is choreographed by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa with new live music by Peter Salem (Tuesday 19 – Saturday 23 May).
In September San Francisco Ballet returns to London for the first time since 2019 with new production Mere Mortals (Wednesday 9 – Saturday 12 September) featuring choreography by Aszure Barton alongside a live performance by acclaimed British electronic music producer and DJ Floating Points and the Royal Ballet Sinfonia orchestra.
In October the resurgent London City Ballet marks its third season at Sadler's Wells Theatre, with Firebird - A Double Bill (Thursday 22 – Saturday 24 October) Choreographer John Neumeier's adaptation of his 2020 piece, Ghost Light is performed by guest artist Alina Cojocaru, whilst American choreographer Glen Tetley's centenary year is celebrated with a revival of his gothic retelling of Firebird.
This year sees three family offerings with brilliant introductions to ballet for children. In April English National Ballet returns with My First Ballet: Cinderella featuring a narrator (Wednesday 1 – Sunday 12 April) at Sadler's Wells East. In July London Children's Ballet presents a revival of their 2022 production Anne of Green Gables (Friday 3 – Sunday 5 July) including a cast of dancers aged 9-16 at the Peacock Theatre.
For Christmas 2026, Sadler's Wells and Birmingham Rep presents a brand-new staging of festive family favourite, The Snowman. Based on Raymond Briggs' cherished book, the new version is directed and choreographed by the Olivier Award-winning Will Tuckett (Into the Woods, Royal Opera House; The Nutcracker, National Ballet of Japan) and features production design by the Olivier Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated Anna Fleischle (Punch and 2:22 A Ghost Story). The production continues the legacy of a magical show that has played at the Peacock Theatre consecutively for 28 seasons and will feature Howard Blake's iconic score including ‘Walking in The Air'.
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