San Francisco Ballet – The Complete 2026-2027 Season
Ballet’s past, present, and future are explored in the 2026-2027 season, San Francisco Ballet announced this week.
Curated by Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, the season continues her menu of full-length ballets and mixed bills exploring modern classics and commissioned contemporary works.
A world premiere commission from William Forsythe highlights the January 2027 gala launching the company’s 94th season. An additional world premiere commission from Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber is part of Divine Creatures, a program reimagining the enduring influence of Ballet Russes impresario Sergei Diaghilev, which includes Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s Faun and Violin Concerto from SF Ballet’s resident choreographer Yuri Possokhov.
Another mixed bill, Three Titans of Choreography showcases the diversity of three major contemporary European choreographers – Hans van Manen’sGrosse Fuge, Christopher Wheeldon‘s Within the Golden Hour, and Akram Khan‘s Dust.
Five full-length ballets range from the 19th-century classic The Sleeping Beauty (choreography by Helgi Tomasson after Marius Petipa) to the return of Kenneth MacMillan‘s tragic drama Manon, considered one of MacMillan’s finest. The company’s long relationship with George Balanchine will be on view twice – his take on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with costumes and set design by French designer Christian Lacroix, and the full, three-part Jewels. The Diamonds section was a stunning part of a mixed bill this past season, and Rubies was part of the previous season. This season marks the first time in 17 years that San Francisco Ballet has presented all three sections of Jewels – Balanchine’s homage to ballet from France (Emeralds with music by Gabriel Fauré), to ballet in the United States (Rubies with music by Igor Stravinsky), and to the ballet traditions of Imperial Russia (Diamonds with music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky). As the first U.S. company to present a full-length production, December belongs to SF Ballet’s Nutcracker. The current production, choreographed by Helgi Tomasson, is set in San Francisco.
At the conclusion of the company’s spring repertoire, the company goes on tour. Announced destinations include a return to Jacob’s Pillow’s 94th Annual Summer Festival, 70 years after San Francisco Ballet’s East Coast debut, and taking the company-commissioned Mere Mortals to Europe. Aszure Barton’s modern reconsideration of the mythic Pandora’s Box has its European premiere at the Edinburgh International Festival and also anchors Sadler’s Wells’ autumn season.
Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director of SF Ballet, said:
SF Ballet’s 2026–27 season brings together a remarkable constellation of legendary artists—visionaries who have shaped the trajectory of ballet and those who continue to define it today.
I’m especially thrilled to bring Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, a creative partnership that is redefining what contemporary choreography can be, to San Francisco. Rooted in risk and reinvention, and with a wide range of stories and emotions captured on stage, this season will serve as a powerful reminder that ballet is ever-evolving—and has never been more vital.
2026-27 Season single tickets go on sale this fall. Packages are on sale in July.
San Francisco Ballet – 2026-2027 Season
Nutcracker
December 4–27, 2026
On Christmas Eve 1944, SF Ballet made history with the American premiere of Nutcracker, launching a national holiday tradition that continues to enchant audiences today. Set in 1915 San Francisco during the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, Helgi Tomasson’s Nutcracker takes place in a city celebrating a new age of technology and international collaboration, much like the San Francisco of today.
SF Ballet will host its fifth annual Sensory Friendly Performance of Nutcracker on Sunday, December 27, at 11 am, in partnership with Autism Society SF Bay Area, creating a welcoming space where neurodiverse audiences of all ages and abilities can experience the wonder of Nutcracker in a relaxed setting.
2027 Opening Night Gala
January 14, 2027
SF Ballet will host its 94th Season Opening Night Gala on January 14, 2027, featuring a world premiere commission from William Forsythe. Additional details to be announced later.
The Sleeping Beauty
January 29–February 7, 2027
The Sleeping Beauty is the pinnacle of the classical ballet canon. Choreographed by Helgi Tomasson after Marius Petipa and set to Tchaikovsky’s impressive score, this production honours the grandeur of the 19th-century classic while bringing a fresh vitality, showcasing regal pageantry, virtuosic technique, and enduring romance. It is a fairy tale that is both enchanting and captivating for audiences of all ages–elegant, timeless, and a celebration of classical ballet at its finest.
Titans of Choreography
February 16–21, 2027
This mixed bill of three major, brilliant European choreographers celebrates the range, nuance, and stylistic diversity of contemporary ballet. Hans van Manen’s Grosse Fuge returns, showcasing his hallmark precision and sculptural clarity. Christopher Wheeldon’s Within the Golden Hour, complete with costumes by Zac Posen, dazzles with sweeping lyricism and modern elegance. Akram Khan’s Dust brings visceral intensity and dramatic storytelling, pushing the boundaries of movement and emotion. This curation presents contemporary mastery with three distinct points of view, offering audiences a rare glimpse into the nuance and range of these visionary voices.
Jewels
February 27–March 7, 2027
George Balanchine’s Jewels is a singular masterpiece: an abstract triptych that evokes the brilliance of precious gems inspired by the jeweller Van Cleef and Arpels. Emeralds shimmers with the elegance and refinement of 19th-century French Romantic ballet, a reflection of Balanchine’s vision of France’s grace and charm. Rubies sparkles with wit, energy, and a touch of New York City jazz, epitomising the creative partnership between Stravinsky and Balanchine with a distinctly American flair. Diamonds exudes the grandeur and order of Imperial Russia, preserving the essence of the classical heritage Balanchine absorbed as a young man at the Mariinsky Theatre. Together, these three luminous ballets form a dazzling tribute to ballet’s past, present, and enduring splendour.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
March 19–27, 2027
Set to Felix Mendelssohn’s luminous score, George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream conjures a world where mischievous fairies, bewitched lovers, and bumbling mortals collide in a swirl of magic and mayhem. Balanchine’s sparkling choreography brings every moment to life. Exquisitely crafted costumes and dreamlike sets by iconic French designer Christian Lacroix — created for the Paris Opera Ballet — drape every scene in shimmering splendour. Joyful, radiant, and utterly transporting, this production is pure enchantment for dreamers of all ages.
Divine Creatures
April 8–14, 2027
This program traces the enduring influence of ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev through works that reimagine the spirit of the Ballets Russes for today. Dubbed “two ‘it’ choreographers” by the New York Times, witness a world premiere from Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, featuring music by Andy Akiho, a trailblazing Pulitzer Prize finalist and seven-time Grammy-nominated composer. Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s Faun refracts myth through a modern lens, echoing Nijinsky’s revolutionary sensuality. Yuri Possokhov’s Next@90 Festival hit Violin Concerto returns with its technical brilliance and Stravinsky’s virtuosic score. Distinct in style yet united by collaboration across disciplines, these three works celebrate risk, reinvention, innovation, and artistic virtuosity — hallmarks of Diaghilev’s legacy and the adventurous heart of this season.
Manon
April 23–May 2, 2027
Considered one of his most notable and widely celebrated works, Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon returns to critical and audience acclaim. Showcasing his expertise of narrative choreography and acute insight into human psychology, this is MacMillan at his best. The story of Manon’s struggle to escape poverty makes it one of the most dramatic, sensual and devastating ballets, showcasing the juxtaposition between her impoverished origins and the lavish world she longs to inhabit, paying the ultimate price for true love and freedom.
SF Ballet School Spring Festival
May 7–8, 2027
San Francisco Ballet School invites audiences to the historic War Memorial Opera House, spotlighting the next generation of elite dance talent. Proceeds from this annual showcase directly benefit SF Ballet School’s scholarship and financial aid programs, ensuring that rising dancers have the opportunity to pursue their craft at the highest level. Additional details to come.
Full details and ticket information at SF Ballet 2026-2027 season
Ann Haskins has written about dance and theatre for L.A. Weekly since shortly after it began publishing in 1978. She has also written about local and national dance for Pointe Magazine, Dance Spirit Magazine, Dance Teacher Magazine, Los Angeles Magazine, L.A. View, Coast Magazine, the Daily News, and the Herald Examiner.
Among her broadcast projects, Ann hosted Inside Theater on KCRW-FM and contributed dance and theater features to both KLON-FM and KUSC-FM. She has twice received Horton Awards from the Los Angeles Dance Resource Center for her coverage of dance in Los Angeles and received the Los Angeles Dance Festival award for Raising the Visibility of Dance.
