Best Dance in 2026
Matthew Bourne's The Car Man. © Johan Persson
There is so much great dance coming to the UK in 2026! As the new year approaches, I am looking at my calendar in excitement at all the ballets and contemporary dance shows I already have lined up (including four Mayerlings). With hundreds of shows due to tour the country over the coming year, let me take out the guess work by highlighting the biggest dance shows you don’t want to miss.
1. Mayerling
30 March — 18 May / Royal Opera House
Perception-changing ballet
With its explicit scenes, lack of tutus, and mummy issues, Kenneth MacMillan’s ballet showed me the endless possibilities of my favourite artform. Based on the true story of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria’s mental breakdown and suicide pact with his teen mistress, it is the hardest ballet role a man can perform. Rudolf hardly leaves the stage and performs choreography that is both physically and mentally draining. This is the ballet that highlights the true male dance greats.
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Gemma Coutts and Alessandra Bramante in Gentleman Jack. © Guy Farrow
2. Gentleman Jack
5 February—5 September / Tour
Brand new ballet
Following its success as a TV show, the story of Anne Lister, the first ‘modern lesbian’, is being brought to the stage by Northern Ballet. LGBTQ+ stories are a rarity in classical ballet, so this work is about to smash a significant glass ceiling. It’s also got a majority female creative team (another rarity).
3. In the Brain
10 May- 25 July / Tour
New Hofesh Shechter
Hofesh Shechter is a major player in the international contemporary dance scene. This latest work comes to the UK from May and promises to be ‘a pulsing, urgent journey into the depths of our consciousness – where stories dissolve, identity fades, and only the beat remains’.
4. The Car Man
15 June — 21 November / Tour
Scintillating Matthew Bourne
The Car Man once again sees Matthew Bourne take a classic tale and flip it on its head. This time is the beloved opera Carmen. No longer set in 19th century Spain, this retelling takes us to a 1950s American diner where ‘the dreams and passions of a small-town are shattered by the arrival of a handsome and enigmatic stranger’.
5. Still Pointless
12 May- 3 July / Tour
25th Anniversary of Ballet Boyz
The renown dance company celebrates 25 years by going back to where it all started. Taken from their first production, Russell Maliphant’s Critical Mass will be performed alongside works from across their repertory.
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More dance top picks
Discover which of the 30+ dance shows I saw this year made it to my top five of 2025. With so much great dance touring London this year, it was a tough decision - do you agree with my choices?