The year 2025 is all about dance! The city will be celebrating its outstanding dance tradition with major anniversaries such as the 100th anniversary of the Palucca University of Dance and the 200th anniversary of the Semperoper Ballett, as well as many exciting dance events. Experience the fascinating history of dance and discover Dresden's creative and dynamic dance scene up close!
Dance City Dresden 2025
Anniversaries, shows and hands-on events
© Sven Döring / Agentur Focus (DML-BY)
Highlights
In 2025, dance will be celebrated all year round, including an anniversary gala on 29 March at the Staatsoperette Dresden, Germany's only independent operetta theatre. You can look forward to impressive performances by the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company at the Festspielhaus Hellerau and many other highlights that bring Dresden's rich dance tradition to life. Workshops and dance festivals invite you to join in – whether it's ‘slow dance’ to slow down, innovative dance projects or intercultural exchange at international events. Immerse yourself in Dresden's creative and vibrant dance scene! Here you will find the most important events of 2025.
100 Years SemperOpernball
February 7, 2025
Celebrate the 100th anniversary of the glamorous SemperOpernball with an impressive open-air ball on Theaterplatz. The SemperOpernball is one of Europe’s most renowned dance events, attracting thousands of guests every year.
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200 Years Semperoper Ballet
April 1, 2025
Celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Semperoper Ballet with a grand open-air event on Theaterplatz. Throughout the year, numerous performances will be presented at the Semperoper, including the highlight ballet Nijinsky by John Neumeier.
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80 Years Landesbühnen Sachsen
All year round
The dance company of Landesbühnen Sachsen is a vital part of the four-genre theater. It produces major choreographed evenings on selected themes, crossover projects, and performances in collaboration with the independent scene.
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Elbvenetian Carnival
February 28 to March 2, 2025
Immerse yourself in the baroque flair of the Elbvenetian Carnival with public masquerade balls and parades along the Elbe. A favorite highlight: the public masquerade promenade on March 1 (free entry).
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Long Night of Theaters
April 26, 2025
Dresden’s theaters open their doors for the Long Night of Theaters. Visit various performances and stages across the city in a single night and experience Dresden’s diverse cultural scene in all its facets.
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100 Years Palucca University of Dance Dresden
All year round
Germany's only independent dance university celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2025. Enjoy workshops, events, and open days throughout the year for an exclusive insight into the work of this renowned institution.
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Festspielhaus Hellerau – European Center for the Arts
All year round
HELLERAU – European Center for the Arts in Festspielhaus Hellerau presents a year-round interdisciplinary program of dance, theater, and music. As a hub of the European dance scene, it offers numerous highlights in 2025 that you shouldn’t miss.
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villa\wigman – Center of the Independent Dance Scene
All year round
The historic building of villa\wigman is now a hub for independent performing arts and Dresden’s dance scene. villa\wigman hosts artistic interventions, discursive, and participatory formats for visitors several times a year and opens its doors for Heritage Day and other selected occasions.
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Staatsoperette Dresden
All year round
The in-house ballet of Staatsoperette Dresden enchants audiences in numerous operettas, musicals, and revues. Enjoy the diverse performances at one of Germany’s most significant operetta theaters.
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Travestie Revue Theater Carte Blanche
All year round
Europe’s largest travesty revue theater offers a mix of singing, dancing, and breathtaking shows. Dance performances are an integral part of every show, making it a highlight of Dresden’s cultural scene.
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Dance Platform Germany 2026
March 2026
HELLERAU – European Center for the Arts will host the renowned Dance Platform Germany in March 2026. Experience the best productions and dancers of contemporary dance from all over Germany.
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Dresden – ‘Mecca’ of revolutionary dance art
In the 1920s and 1930s, Dresden became a centre of the new art of dance. The Swiss music teacher Émile Jacques-Dalcroze realised his vision of an ‘educational institution for music and rhythm’ in the Festspielhaus Hellerau, whose open stage was designed by Heinrich Tessenow. The Festspielhaus attracted Europe's artistic avant-garde until 1914.
Mary Wigman, a pioneer of expressive dance, which was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2022, studied here. Her student Gret Palucca founded her own school in 1925, which is now known as the Palucca University of Dance.
The Festspielhaus Hellerau, after a chequered history of use in the 20th century, has been one of the leading centres for contemporary dance in Germany since 2006 as HELLERAU – European Centre for the Arts. The German Dance Platform will be held here in 2026.