Queensland Ballet Announces Its 2027 Season
Queensland Ballet has announced its 2027 season, with an Australian premiere, the music of INXS and a new ballet for young audiences among the highlights of a program extending across the state.
Unveiled on 6 October to coincide with the company’s annual Giving Day, the program is Ivan Gil-Ortega’s second as artistic director.
“At Queensland Ballet, we believe the arts are essential to the human experience. They move people, bring communities together and help shape a stronger future,” Gil-Ortega said.
Among the season’s major additions is the Australian premiere of Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Doña Perón: The Story of Evita, running at the Talbot Theatre from 30 July to 28 August. The ballet follows Eva Perón’s journey from dancehall performer and radio personality to Argentina’s First Lady, and her death in her early thirties. Lopez Ochoa’s other biographical ballets include Coco Chanel: the Life of a Fashion Icon.
Her Elegantly Wasted, set to reimagined songs by INXS, will reach Brisbane from 8 April to 8 May at the Talbot Theatre, following its 2026 world premiere on the Gold Coast.
The season itself begins at Toowoomba’s Empire Theatre on 19–20 February with Leo Mujić’s Hamlet, following its 2026 Brisbane premiere. The Shakespearean tragedy will return to the Talbot Theatre from 11–19 June.
“In 2027, we are quite literally sharing the stage, taking the dancers and productions to more Queensland communities, opening our doors to new audiences and collaborating with partners across the state,” Gil-Ortega said.
Icons: Ballet’s Greatest Hits will also travel across Queensland, with stops including Stanthorpe, Caloundra, Bundaberg and Maryborough before a Brisbane season in May. Its selection of repertoire draws on works including Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Giselle and Romeo and Juliet.
“Queensland is our home, and Queensland Ballet should belong to every Queenslander, whether they live in Brisbane, on the Gold Coast or in one of our regional communities,” he said.
For younger audiences, the company’s My First Ballet series will introduce a new production of The Little Prince, created by former principal dancer and company répétiteur Camilo Ramos. With narration by David Wenham, the adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s story runs at the Talbot Theatre from 2–10 July.
Soirée returns in April with a new production inspired by Margaret Olley, bringing together Philip Bacon Galleries, Camerata, Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra, the company’s Jette Parker Young Artists and dancers from the Academy’s Clark Graduate Program. The Academy Gala follows in August, showcasing dancers from across its training levels.
At QPAC’s Glasshouse Theatre, Derek Deane’s Strictly Gershwin returns from 9–23 October. Combining ballet, ballroom, tap and musical theatre, the production celebrates George and Ira Gershwin’s music, with Camerata performing a program that includes Rhapsody in Blue and An American in Paris.
Deane’s new production of The Nutcracker, commissioned for the company’s 2026 season, will return at the Glasshouse Theatre from 10–23 December, with designs and costumes by Lez Brotherston.
For season information, visit Queensland Ballet.