Swan Lake in Basel. International Festival Ballet & Festival Orchestra 17 February 2026

The International Ballet Festival presents one of the most famous ballets to the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake.

For many, Swan Lake is synonymous with ballet. The romantic tale of the young prince Siegfried, who falls in love with the swan princess Odette and wants to free her from the evil charms of Duke Rothbart, is a story about the power of true love.

This ballet work is part of the standard repertoire of all major companies. In particular, the Allegro Moderato from The Swan Dances, Act 2, choreographed by Lev Ivanov, has been the subject of countless parodies and is therefore known far beyond the public interested in ballet as "The Dance of the Four Little Swans". In short, it is a work of genius by a brilliant composer that has attracted audiences for centuries.

Swan Lake is embodied on stage by one of the best classical ballet companies, the International Festival Ballet. The grandiose scenography by the brilliant theater artist Vyacheslav Okunev, who has worked, among others, for the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg and La Scala in Milan, the beautiful costumes, the boundless elegance and carefree lightness of the ballet ensemble provide a dreamlike version of a classical ballet that never ceases to enchant even after more than 100 years.