Dutch National Ballet
Paquita / Carmen

Dates
10 February – 4 March 2026
Location
Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Main Stage
Running time
2:15, incl. 1 interval
Tickets
From € 26

A double bill that makes the sun shine brightly
Ballets that immediately make you feel you’re in the sunny south. That’s how we’ll warm up our audiences at the beginning of 2026. One of the biggest audience favourites, Ted Brandsen’s lively, passionate Carmen, returns to the stage. It is paired with Marius Petipa’s glittering Paquita, in an adaptation by Rachel Beaujean that lends fresh panache to the grandeur of this classic. The Dutch Ballet Orchestra, conducted by Matthew Rowe, brings the powerful music of both ballets to life.
Ticket sales start
Ticket sales for Paquita / Carmen start on 28 August 2025 at 12 noon. Don’t want to miss this on-sale moment? Sign up for our ticket alert and receive a notification when ticket sales open.
Performance information
Paquita
Choreography Marius Petipa, adapted by Rachel Beaujean
Music Edward Deldevez and Ludwig Minkus
Set and costume design François-Noël Cherpin
Lighting design Hans-Åke Sjöquist
Carmen
Choreography Ted Brandsen
Music Rodion Shchedrin, after Georges Bizet
Set design Andrew Carter
Costume design François-Noël Cherpin
Lighting design Bert Dalhuysen
Musical accompaniment Dutch Ballet Orchestra conducted by Matthew Rowe
Performance for schools
We offer an exclusive school matinee of Carmen for primary school and first-year secondary school students. Explore the programme.
Order tickets
Ticket sales for Paquita / Carmen start on 28 August 2025 at 12 noon. Don’t want to miss this on-sale moment? Sign up for our ticket alert and receive a notification when ticket sales open.

Rachel Beaujean on her fifty years with Dutch National Ballet
Besides Ted Brandsen, associate artistic director Rachel Beaujean is also leaving at the end of the 2025 – 2026 season. She’ll then have been working with Dutch National Ballet for precisely fifty years. And that’s unparalleled in the dance world. “When I was young, I wanted to see the world, but apparently I’m a very loyal person.”

Dutch Ballet Orchestra
Dutch Ballet Orchestra is the leading orchestra for dance in the Netherlands. In every performance, the orchestra searches for inspiring synergy between music and dance, in order to give the audience a magical experience. From classical ballet to modern masterpieces, and from music education to talent development, Dutch Ballet Orchestra inspires the movement in dance.