The best: Ballet and dance performances coming to Manchester

Disney On Ice returns to Manchester with Find Your Hero. Hosted by Mickie and Minnie, the night will be jam-packed full of familiar hits, with songs from Moana, Encanto, Frozen and The Little Mermaid all part of the family-friendly festivities.

Perfect for those Christmassy nights out, tap-dancing extravaganza Singin’ In The Rain will be at the Royal Exchange right throughout the festive period. Seamlessly and spectacularly blending song and dance, the audience will find themselves in the heart of the action of this much-loved musical on the Exchange’s iconic in-the-round stage.

Swan Lake, arguably the most famous romantic ballet of all time, takes over The Bridgewater Hall’s stage to kick off the new year, filling the iconic venue with staggering movement and Tchaikovsky’s haunting and unforgettable score.

The Varna International Ballet and the Varna International Ballet Orchestra continue their stay at The Bridgewater Hall with The Nutcracker, transporting audiences into a mystical world where nothing as quite as it seems.

Waltzing its way to the AO Arena, Strictly Come Dancing live brings a stellar lineup of professionals and celebrities to Manchester, alongside judges Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, and Craig Revel Horwood, with the fabulous Janette Manrara returning to host.

Described as ‘90 minutes of ritualised ecstasy’ by The Irish Times, this visionary piece playfully and provocatively takes you on an otherworldly journey steeped in the landscape and culture of West Kerry in Ireland, guided by 12 fearless dancers and a collaborative soundtrack from virtuoso Irish traditional concertina player Cormac Begley and European classical contemporary collective s t a r g a z e, performed live on stage.

Blurring the boundaries between classical music and other artforms, Manchester Collective join forces with dance-theatre company Thick & Tight to present a searing live performance that draws on queer culture, flittering between ballet and cabaret, the absurd and the disarmingly moving.

Manchester-based multimedia artist CHAINES completes the impressive lineup, whose work synthesises cutting-edge technology with their classical training to create surreal, glitchy textures.

BRB’s Director Carlos Acosta revives a 19th-century masterpiece, bringing a much-needed slice of Spanish sunshine to the famous Salford theatre. A show that’s perfect for the whole family, Don Quixote is packed with delightful music from the Royal Ballet Sinfonia and is a must-see for fans of Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty.

Masters of storytelling, Northern Ballet bring to the stage the extraordinary story of Anne Lister — better known as Gentleman Jack. A powerful Yorkshire woman, it was only after her death that her secret diaries revealed an exceptional life that defied the expectations of 19th-century society. Inspiring biographies, novels, a hit TV series and now a ballet, Anne’s story leaps from page to stage in this thrilling new production choreographed by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and performed to new live music by Peter Salem.

The worldwide phenomenon that redefined Irish dance is set to return to the United Kingdom in 2026 to celebrate its 30th Anniversary. Lord of the Dance, Michael Flatley’s visionary show, is one of the most recognised dance stage productions in history, and the 30th Anniversary Tour will feature brand-new choreography, stunning costumes, state-of-the-art special effects, and cutting-edge lighting