The Nutcracker. International Festival Ballet & Festival Orchestra from 2 to 22 January 2026

Fairytale Russian ballet art for young and old. A consummate work of art with live orchestral accompaniment. The ballet "The Nutcracker" is based on Alexandre Dumas' version of the story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" by E.T.A. Hoffmann. Tchaikovsky's musical version premiered in St. Petersburg on December 18, 1892 under the choreography of Lev Ivanov and delighted children and adults alike.

The art of classical ballet has often been highly praised by critics all over the world. But as the saying goes: "Better seen once than heard a hundred times". Experience the beautiful ballet "The Nutcracker" with the International Festival Ballet and Hungary Festival Orchestra.

Marie takes center stage. She receives a nutcracker as a present from her godfather Drosselmeyer on Christmas Eve. As she goes to sleep, she dreams of a battle between the toy soldiers led by the Nutcracker and the army of the Mouse King. With her help, the Nutcracker is victorious and is then transformed into a prince. The prince travels with Marie to the realm of sweets. The journey takes them through the fir forest to Zuckerburg Castle, where the resident sugar fairy throws a party in honor of her guests. In addition, the magnificent set design by the brilliant theater designer Vjatscheslav Okunev, who has worked for the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg and La Scala in Milan, beautiful costumes and the boundless elegance and carefree lightness of the International Festival Ballet ensemble ensure a dreamy and fairytale-like version of a classical ballet that continues to fascinate even after more than 100 years.

The "International Festival Ballet" is a high-caliber ensemble that impresses with its strict classical elegance, the fresh breath of the twenty-first century and a perfect dance performance worldwide. The troupe consists of 42 dancers. All dancers are graduates of the best Russian ballet schools such as the Vaganova Academy of St. Petersburg, the Kiev State Choreographic Academy, the Moscow Academy of Choreography, the Ufa Ballet School and the Perm Ballet Academy. The ensemble has also worked with the best ballet theaters and won numerous prizes and awards at international ballet festivals and competitions. The 42 dancers of the "International Festival Ballet" make up one of the most beautiful and strongest ballet companies and also one of the most renowned in the world.