From traditional ballet to boundary-pushing pioneers, check out our picks of the best dance and ballet performances coming to Birmingham.
Through the 1980s MAC played host to some of the pivotal moments in the UK’s early Hip Hop history, not least the seminal Birmingham-Manchester battles in MAC’s Outdoor Arena in 1985/6.
Join some of the leading Birmingham and Manchester crews for a free celebration of this piece of Birmingham history with battles, music and performances in the Arena throughout the day.
The Brown Suite is a funk and soul-fuelled dance-theatre production set to the sound of the 1970s, featuring music by James Brown, Etta James and Sam Cooke.
Structured in three parts – Pulse & Play, Party & Fracture, and Reprise & Release – the work unfolds as a living mixtape of rhythm-driven vignettes, blending ballet, contemporary and groove-based forms.
Birmingham Royal Ballet are back at the Hippodrome in autumn, joined by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia for a sure-to-be-spectacular performance of Sir Peter Wright and Galina Samsova’s glorious journey into Swan Lake.
Lord of the Dance, Michael Flatley’s global phenomenon that redefined Irish dance, is set to return to the United Kingdom in 2026 to celebrate its 30th Anniversary with an extraordinary new tour.
The celebratory tour will feature brand-new choreography, stunning costumes, state-of-the-art special effects, and cutting-edge lighting, ensuring that the production continues to push boundaries and deliver an unforgettable experience.
Award-winning English Youth Ballet returns to Wolverhampton with its exquisite production of Swan Lake, uniting international principal dancers and an impressive cast of 100 local young performers.
Matthew Bourne’s award-winning The Car Man is back, blending the legendary choreographer’s vivid storytelling and one of the most famous scores ever written, with music by Terry Davies featuring Rodion Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite (after Bizet’s Carmen).
With its unmistakable score, bursting with hits including Summer Nights, Greased Lightnin’, Hopelessly Devoted to You, and You’re the One That I Want, this thrilling new take on the beloved leather-clad love story touches down at The Alexandra this autumn.
Performed by two dancers, an actor and a drummer, Anatomy of Survival is an offbeat collaboration between award-winning playwright Vivienne Franzmann and choreographer and psychotherapist Frauke Requardt, which brings together 22 very different eyewitness accounts of one everyday altercation to show how our nervous systems are stuck in the Stone Age.
In this sumptuous reimagining of the 19th-century classic La Bayadère, Carlos Acosta transports the action to Renaissance Venice, complete with the original score by Ludwig Minkus played live by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia and striking designs by Anna Fleischle. A perfect way to kick off Birmingham’s 2027 ballet calendar.
A new stage adaptation of Channel 4’s award-winning, groundbreaking series, It’s a Sin, is coming to Birmingham next year, led by pioneering UK contemporary dance company Rambert, alongside original series creator Russell T Davies (Queer As Folk, Doctor Who) serving as Executive Producer, legendary pop duo Pet Shop Boys and Glyn Fussell (Sink the Pink, Mighty Hoopla festival).
- Words:
- Bradley Lengden
- Published on:
- Wed 22 Jul 2026
Zig Zag! is a charming, non-verbal outdoor duet ideal for all ages 5+. The show sees two performers build a playful world from simple objects, setting tiny tasks that become big decisions. The show contains no text or spoken word. All the storytelling is expressed through movement and physicality. The performance is free, lasts 35 minutes, and you’re welcome to just drop in.