Myth, Romance, and a World Premiere: Inside San Francisco Ballet’s 2026-27 Season

Ballet is the original escape. One night, one orchestra, and suddenly you’re in a royal court, an enchanted forest, or a Parisian gambling den. This season San Francisco Ballet is making the case that ballet’s greatest power is its ability to transport you somewhere else.Under artistic director Tamara Rojo, the 2026-27 Season moves between timeless masterpieces and new work never before seen in San Francisco. Rooted in a nearly 100-year-old legacy and San Francisco’s appetite for reinvention, it’s a mythic, romantic, and occasionally provocative season for longtime balletomanes and curious first-timers alike.Start with the classicsThe season opens where SF Ballet’s story began: Nutcracker (Dec 4-27) returns for the holidays from the company that staged America’s first full-length production in 1944. Then comes the fairytale that inspired them all, The Sleeping Beauty (Jan 29-Feb 7), back in San Francisco for the first time since 2018. Helgi Tomasson’s staging, originally created for th