Antwerp will host a European première this autumn when Cirque du Soleil presents its festive theatre production ‘’Twas the Night Before…‘ at the Stadsschouwburg. The performances will run from 26 November to 6 December 2026, marking the first time the internationally renowned circus company from Canada brings a full theatre-based production to Europe.
Although Cirque du Soleil has visited Antwerp several times in the past, those appearances have always taken place in large touring tents or arenas. The upcoming production therefore represents a notable milestone: it will be staged inside a traditional theatre venue rather than under the company’s iconic big top.
A Christmas story inspired by a classic poem
The show is inspired by ‘A Visit from Saint Nicholas‘, the famous 1823 poem by Clement Clarke Moore, better known by its opening line ‘’Twas the Night Before Christmas’. The poem played an important role in shaping the modern image of Santa Claus as a cheerful, slightly plump figure travelling through the night on Christmas Eve in a sleigh pulled by reindeer, delivering presents down chimneys.
The character of Santa Claus itself has historical roots in the European tradition of Saint Nicholas. Dutch settlers brought the figure of Sinterklaas to the colony of New Amsterdam – present-day New York – where the name gradually evolved linguistically into Santa Claus and became part of American popular culture.
Cirque du Soleil uses this well-known Christmas story as the starting point for a theatrical spectacle combining acrobatics, music and storytelling.
A magical journey for father and daughter
At the heart of ‘’Twas the Night Before…’ is the story of Isabella, a young girl who believes she has outgrown her family’s cherished holiday tradition of reading the poem together with her father each Christmas.
When the magic of the poem suddenly comes to life, however, father and daughter are separated by a snowstorm and embark on an unexpected adventure. In a fantastical winter landscape inspired by the poem, they encounter whimsical characters, acrobats, children and Santa’s energetic reindeer. Through these encounters, Isabella gradually rediscovers the wonder and spirit of the festive season.
Acrobatics and holiday spectacle
The production features 26 performers from around the world, presenting a mix of theatrical storytelling and high-level circus acts. Despite the limited stage space of the Stadsschouwburg, the creators promise an ambitious spectacle with visually striking sequences, including hoop-diving routines inspired by Santa’s reindeer and impressive hair-hanging acrobatics.
Music also plays an important role in the show. The soundtrack blends original compositions with reinvented versions of familiar Christmas classics, designed to appeal to audiences of all ages.
First Christmas show by Cirque du Soleil
‘’Twas the Night Before…’ is the first Christmas-themed production ever created by Cirque du Soleil. Conceived as a festive family show, it combines the company’s signature acrobatic style with a warm seasonal narrative about rediscovering wonder, imagination and togetherness.
Art and museums in Antwerp
- ANTWERP | Climb the Cathedral of Our Lady tower.
- ANTWERP | Rubens House appoints two design teams.
- ROYAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS ANTWERP | ‘The Fall of Alba’s Citadel. Image and Memory in Turbulent Times’, from 6 February to 17 May 2026.
- Antwerp’s municipal museums surpass 2 million visitors in 2025.
- ANTWERP | KMSKA schedules ambitious exhibition programme for 2026, featuring international masters such as Antony Gormley, Philip Aguirre y Otegui and Ossip Zadkine.
- Museums of the City of Antwerp look ahead to 2026.
- ANTWERP | ‘Urban Legends’: three young makers take over Museum Mayer van den Bergh on 29 November, 6 December and 29 January.
- ANTWERP | ‘Suske & Wiske and the Visual Arts’: M HKA shows how a comic strip series Shapes the collective memory.
- REVIEW | ‘La ligne de vie’ René Magritte exhibition at Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA).
- REVIEW | ‘Universal Tongue’, on dance, at Museum Aan de Stroom (MAS) until 4 January 2026.
- 2028 to be Music Year in Antwerp.
- ANTWERP | Flemish government cancels €130 million new museum building for M HKA in Antwerp.
- MOMU | ‘GIRLS. On Boredom, Rebellion and Being In-Between’, 27 September 2025 to 1 February 2026.
- ANTWERP | Museum Plantin-Moretus highlights 300 years of women’s stories in ‘Women’s Business / Business Women’.
- ANTWERP | Museum Mayer van den Bergh opens exhibition ‘Public Favourites’, from Mad Meg to Delft Blue, look at art through other people’s eyes.
- ANTWERP | Middelheim Museum celebrates 75 years with a summer full of new ways to experience the art park.
- ANTWERP | ‘Compassion’ in the MAS: the many faces of compassion.
- ANTWERP | Graphics Museum De Reede ft. Francisco Goya, Edvard Munch, Félicien Rops and Albrecht Dürer.
- ANTWERP | Rubens Experience and Rubens Garden at Rubenshuis.
- ANTWERP | Innovations in the Middelheim Museum provide a completely new visitor experience.
- A visit of the Flemish Tram and Bus Museum – Vlaams Tram- en Autobusmuseum (VlaTAM) in Antwerp.
- ANTWERP | Discovering queer(ed) art with the Queer Tour at the KMSKA fine arts museum.
- REVIEW | Illusion Antwerpen, an active and photogenic museum.
- Antwerp museums and sports facilities team up with European Disability Card for accessible leisure activities.
- Museum Mayer van den Bergh.
- ANTWERP | Inside Rubens House.
- Museum Plantin-Moretus in Antwerp.
- ANTWERP | Museum Vleeshuis up for restoration.
- BOOK | ‘Antwerp. An Archaeological View on the Origin of the City’ by Tim Bellens.
- Red Star Line Museum.
- Paleis op de Meir.
- DIVA, Antwerp Home of Diamonds.
- ANTWERP | Red Star Line Museum of (e)migration.
