Swan Lake

Imperial Classical Ballet bring Swan Lake to the Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre on Tuesday 29 September, the opening night of their 2026 UK season. It's a big one for them: the season marks the company's 20th anniversary, and they're kicking it off here in Bournemouth.

If you're not familiar with the story, it's the one most people think of when they hear 'ballet'. Princess Odette is cursed to live as a swan by day and a woman by night, and she's discovered by Prince Siegfried while the sorcerer Rothbart and his daughter Odile plot against them. The white-swan ensembles and the Black Swan pas de deux are the dramatic heart of the show. The production brings together international dancers, classical choreography, lavish costumes and large-scale staging, and Tchaikovsky's score is performed live by a full orchestra rather than from a recording.

There's a bit of history behind this particular tour, too. The company was launched by Amande Concerts, which has spent more than two decades touring the UK, and they've staged this production as a thank-you to the regional audiences who have supported them along the way. It's a full-scale evening of ballet, not a shortened version, so it's worth knowing how the night is laid out before you head in.

Doors open at 7:00pm, and the curtain goes up at 7:30pm. Act One runs from 7:30 to 8:30pm, followed by a twenty-minute interval until 8:50pm, when Act Two takes you through to 9:45pm. Tickets start at £43.00, with under-16s at £29.00, and the performance is at the Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre on Westover Road.