Opera Ballet Vlaanderen or Opera Ballet Flanders has announced an expansive and outward-looking 2026–2027 season, combining canonical works with bold new creations and a strong emphasis on Flemish artistic identity.
Hence the theme, ‘À la flamande‘, refferring to an asparagus dish. The asparagus is cooked al dente in lightly salted water (possibly with a pinch of lemon juice to keep it pristine white) and then topped with a hard-boiled egg and some parsley. Finally, warm, melted butter is spooned over the plate to enhance the creaminess of the white asparagus. Also delicious with a handful of grey shrimps, another source of Flemish pride.
14 major productions
The opera and ballet programme features fourteen major productions, including seven world premieres and six works new to the company, alongside concerts, experimental projects and community initiatives.
Artistic director Jan Vandenhouwe describes the upcoming season as “one large festival”, bringing together opera, dance and music theatre in a wide-ranging programme that also includes hybrid formats, debates and site-specific projects. The season opens against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty, posing questions about Flanders’ place in major productions and the wider world, while highlighting the international influence of Flemish artists.
A recurring motif is the River Scheldt, which appears both literally and symbolically across several productions, including works linked to composer Peter Benoit.
Strong mix of classics and new work
The season balances well-known repertoire with lesser-known and contemporary pieces. Major titles include ‘La Traviata’, ‘The Sleeping Beauty’, and concert performances of ‘Orphée et Eurydice’ and ‘Lohengrin’.
Alongside these, the company presents more experimental and rarely staged works, including ‘De Materie’, a philosophical opera by Louis Andriessen that blends history, science and spirituality. The production will be staged by director and scenographer Phia Ménard in collaboration with choreographers Antonio de Rosa and Mattia Russo.
A highlight of the season is a new staging of two oratorios by Peter Benoit — ‘Lucifer’ and ‘De Schelde’, created by theatre collective FC Bergman, marking the first time these works receive a full theatrical interpretation.
Dance and interdisciplinary productions
Dance remains central to the programme. Choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker revisits three early works set to music by Béla Bartók, Ludwig van Beethoven and Arnold Schönberg, performed live by the company’s orchestra.
Elsewhere, Spanish choreographer Marcos Morau presents a new interpretation of ‘The Sleeping Beauty’, blending Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s score with contemporary electronic music. Flemish choreographer Zoë Demoustier explores the legacy of the 1980s ‘Flemish Wave‘ in dance with ‘A Wave’, revisiting influential works by artists such as De Keersmaeker and Wim Vandekeybus.
American choreographer Trajal Harrell makes his company debut with a hybrid reinterpretation of ‘Winterreise’, combining dance, fashion and queer performance traditions.
New creations and historical reflection
Among the world premieres is ‘SOÛL’, a new work by Alain Platel set to music by Gustav Mahler, paired with a piece by Pina Bausch. The season also includes ‘De Draaischijf’, based on a novel by Tom Lanoye, which examines collaboration in Antwerp’s cultural scene during World War II.
The opening production, ‘De Opstand van de Gevels’, by Thomas Verstraeten, is a large-scale urban project in Ghent, transforming the city into a performance space.
Concerts and musical leadership
The season marks the arrival of new music director Stephan Zilias, who will conduct major symphonic works and Richard Wagner’s ‘Lohengrin’. Other concert highlights include music by Franz Schubert, Jean Sibelius, and George Gershwin’s ‘Porgy and Bess’.
Continued growth and audience engagement
The announcement follows a highly successful current season, with sold-out performances of productions such as ‘Don Giovanni’, ‘Nabucco’ and ‘Carmen’. Opera Ballet Vlaanderen also continues to expand accessibility, adding weekday matinees and maintaining a strong presence in Ghent despite the temporary closure of its opera house.
Abonnement renewals open on Friday 24 April. New subscriptions go on sale on Friday 8 May, and general ticket sales begin on Friday 22 May.
With its mix of heritage, innovation and international collaboration, the 2026–2027 season positions Opera Ballet Vlaanderen as a leading force in contemporary European performing arts.
Art and museums in Antwerp
- RED STAR LINE MUSEUM | ‘Drifting Belgians’, the incredible journey of the ghost walkers, until 30 August 2026.
- ANTWERP | ‘Martial Arts’: MAS exhibition explores the rich world of combat sports and martial traditions.
- REVIEW | ‘The Antwerp Six’ exhibition at the Antwerp fashion museum MoMu.
- ANTWERP | Museum Plantin-Moretus’ ‘Plantin’s Plants’ exhibition until 2 August 2026.
- FOMU 2026 | Carrie Mae Weems, Diane Severin Nguyen, Families, and Tenderly There by Tashattot.
- ANTWERP | M HKA opens new season with exhibition on censorship and artistic resistance.
- 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.
- 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 | Museum Mayer van den Bergh opens exhibition ‘Public Favourites’, from Mad Meg to Delft Blue, look at art through other people’s eyes.
- 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.
