From the Palais Garnier and the Opéra Comique to Chaillot, the Théâtre National de la Danse, La Seine Musicale, the Palais des Congrès de Paris and the Opéra Bastille, the capital's major venues welcome the most prestigious dance companies and the world's greatest opera singers. Classical or modern repertoire, there's something for everyone.
The Palais Garnier officially kicks off its dance season with Gala (10 October 2026), bringing together the Paris Opera Ballet company and students from the École de Danse on stage. From 28 September to 30 October, Kenneth MacMillan’s L’Histoire de Manon offers a reinterpretation of Abbé Prévost’s work. This revisited classic is joined in the autumn programme by new additions to the repertoire, such as Inner Landscapes, a trilogy of pieces by Jean-Christophe Maillot, William Forsythe and Aszure Barton (from 11 October to 7 November 2026), which explore emotions and the intimate; and ‘Pulsations’, in which contemporary choreographies by Lucinda Childs, Martha Graham, Sol León and Paul Lightfoot create a resonance between the body’s pulse, musical rhythm, time and the transience of existence (from 4 December to 2 January 2027).
The immersive virtual reality experience In the Footsteps of a Prima Ballerina – Behind the Scenes at the Palais Garnier offers visitors the chance to follow the daily life of prima ballerina Bleuenn Battistoni and discover the secret spaces of the Palais Garnier (until 30 November 2026, during the monument’s opening hours).
The Opéra Bastille rounds off the autumn programme with the show ‘Rituels’ (from 2 December to 2 January 2027), which brings together two major choreographic works on stage: ‘Suite en blanc’ by Serge Lifar and ‘The Rite of Spring’ by Pina Bausch, as well as a new work by Shahar Binyamini inspired by Ravel’s legendary ‘Boléro’, which is making its debut in the Paris Opera’s repertoire.
The dance season at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées opens with the Malandain Ballet Biarritz and choreographies by Thierry Malandain, which reinterpret three masterpieces of French music: Igor Stravinsky’s ‘The Firebird’, Maurice Ravel’s ‘Boléro’ and Camille Saint-Saëns’s ‘De Minuit et demi, ou le Cœur mystérieux’ (from 22 to 25 September 2026). Next up is the Boston Ballet, performing from 8 to 11 October 2026 with Alexander Ekman’s ‘Cacti’ and Akram Khan’s ‘Vertical Road’.
Following ‘Mythologies’ and ‘Requiem(s)’, La Seine Musicale once again delves into the world of choreographer Angelin Preljocaj… with a contemporary reinterpretation of the famous classical ballet ‘Swan Lake’ (from 22 to 27 December 2026).
On the programme at the Palais des Congrès de Paris, which gives pride of place to dance performances: the return of the renowned New York-based Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre with its iconic choreographies such as ‘Night Creature’, ‘A Song for You’, ‘Revelations’ and ‘Cry’, alongside brand-new creations (from 7 to 11 October 2026), and a classical repertoire featuring ‘Swan Lake’ (from 1 to 16 October 2026), ‘The Four Seasons’ (from 24 to 29 November 2026) and ‘The Nutcracker’ (from 23 December to 10 January 2027).
The best breakdancers will compete on stage at the Théâtre du Châtelet on 10 October 2026 as part of the 26th edition of Battle Pro. The Urban Châtelet festival on 11 October 2026 will showcase Franco-Korean urban dance. From 18 to 21 October 2026, Éric Minh Cuong Castaing’s show ‘Vision’, performed by the Shōnen company - which features performers with visual impairments - will prompt reflection on inclusion.
Chaillot reaffirms its status as a temple of contemporary dance with a particularly ambitious international programme. The season opens with the Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and her cult classic Rosas danst Rosas (from 10 to 17 September 2026), followed by the exceptional production ‘Multicast Rosas danst Rosas’ (19 and 20 September 2026). Other highlights of the autumn season include “Encender el cuerpo” by Rocío Molina, one of the leading figures in contemporary flamenco (from 1 to 3 October 2026), ‘Este Mundo’ by choreographer Bouchra Ouizguen (from 8 to 10 October 2026) and ‘Un peu pour mon cœur’ by Dalila Belaza (from 25 to 28 November 2026).
The Théâtre de la Ville - Sarah Bernhardt gives pride of place to contemporary dance, new works and choreographic performance, notably with ‘Après moi, le déluge’, performed by the Ballet National de Marseille and (La)Horde (from 5 to 12 September 2026), Soulèvement, the new work by Angelin Preljocaj (from 22 October to 7 November 2026) and ‘1975 - Naoi Déag Seachtó Cúig’, a modern take on folk dance by Irish choreographer Michael Keegan-Dolan (from 2 to 5 December 2026).
The Grande Halle de la Villette is also presenting a multifaceted dance season. Choreographers Dafné Bianchi and Solen Athanassopoulos invite audiences to delve into the heritage of their ancestors and the past with their productions ‘La Breva’ and ‘KnowNess, l’histoire d’un ancêtre’ (from 18 to 21 November 2026), Wilfried ‘Wolf’ Blé and Tonbee Cattaruzza showcase hip-hop dance (from 25 to 28 November 2026) with ‘Quintessence’ and ‘Et toi ?’. The Lyon Opera Ballet explores movement and its variations through Lucinda Childs’ ‘Dance’ and Alessandro Sciarroni’s ‘Høpe’ (from 25 to 29 November 2026) and finally ‘Glass55’ by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, as part of the Paris Autumn Festival, offers a choreographed interpretation of the early works of Philip Glass, a pioneering composer of minimalist and repetitive music (11–16 December 2026)
Finally, choreographer Benjamin Millepied takes to the stage at the Folies Bergère with a series of brand-new choreographic works: ‘Barbara, Du bout des lèvres’, set to the songs of Barbara; the cabaret show ‘Move Me Once More’; and the ballet ‘Summerland’, set to the music of November Ultra (from 9 to 29 November 2026).
The Paris National Opera kicks off its opera season at the Opéra Bastille with a colourful modern adaptation of Gioacchino Rossini’s The Barber of Seville (from 12 September to 5 November 2026), as well as Ambroise Thomas’s reimagined version of William Shakespeare’s classic Hamlet, which blends introspection and psychoanalysis (from 18 September to 9 October 2026). Richard Wagner’s Götterdämmerung takes over from 8 to 18 October 2026, serving as a prelude to the Ring Cycle Festival (The RING), which presents the composer’s complete tetralogy, directed by Calixto Bieito: Das Rheingold (from 6 to 15 November 2026), Die Walküre (from 7 to 17 November 2026), Siegfried (from 10 to 19 November 2026) and Götterdämmerung (from 13 to 22 November 2026). This will be followed by Robert Wilson’s production of Giacomo Puccini’s final opera, Turandot, from 27 November to 27 December 2026.
The Palais Garnier presents Black Pearl: meditations for Joséphine, a lyrical tribute to the singer and dancer Joséphine Baker, conceived by the composer Tyshawn Sorey (from 9 to 19 September 2026). The season continues with Willy Decker’s streamlined production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito (from 24 November to 25 December 2026).
Meanwhile, the Opéra-Comique presents ‘Zaïde, or The Path of Light’, based on the work by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (from 9 to 12 September 2026) and ‘The Soldier’s Tale / Into the Little Hill’ by Igor Stravinsky and George Benjamin, inspired by two folk tales (from 8 to 16 November 2026). An off-site programme invites audiences to discover ‘Carmen, Opéra-paysage Itinérant’, based on Georges Bizet’s work, a lyrical journey from the Cité internationale des Arts to the Collège François Couperin (4th arrondissement, Paris) (from 24 to 27 September 2026).
At the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, two new productions take centre stage: Giacomo Puccini’s ‘Manon Lescaut’ (from 2–15 November 2026) and Georges Bizet’s ‘Les Pêcheurs de perles’ (from 5 to 17 December 2026).
Discover the splendours of the Palais Garnier, a temple dedicated to the performing arts and dance located in the Opera district!
This architectural gem, built by Charles Garnier and inaugurated in 1875 by Napoleon, features a dazzling marble Grand Staircase, onyx balconies, frescoes, delicate paintings and sculptures, and mosaics on a gold background... all of which can be admired during self-guided tours.
A rare and unique monument!
Exhibitions, shows, concerts, trade fairs, celebrations and festivals: all the unmissable events to mark the start of the new season in Paris
