Six must-see performances on Prague's premier stages this winter

Prague’s spring season opens with Baroque intimacy and Wagnerian grandeur. From Purcell’s heartbreak in Carthage to the full force of the Ring cycle, the city’s opera houses deliver premieres that span four centuries. Meanwhile, contemporary circus and cutting-edge ballet push beyond traditional stagecraft into experimental territory.

Henry Purcell’s Baroque tragedy of love and betrayal finds its natural home in the Estates Theatre’s intimate acoustics. Directed by Alice Nellis, the production strips away excess to reveal the opera’s emotional core—Dido’s final lament remains one of music's most devastating farewells.

The Estates Theatre; Jan. 15 and 17, 2026 (Premiere performances)

Wagner's Ring cycle launches with gods bargaining away their souls for power. Sláva Daubnerová directs this new production exploring the curse of the Nibelung’s gold—two and a half hours without intermission as greed, betrayal, and supernatural forces collide.

The National Theatre; Feb. 12 and 15, 2026 (Premiere performances)

Ovid’s tales of transformation get the full cinematic treatment on the State Opera's vast stage. This visual-heavy production harnesses the theatre’s technical capabilities to create a sensory experience where bodies shift, identities dissolve, and myth becomes visceral.

The State Opera; Feb. 19–20, 2026 (Premiere performances)

The composer’s final opera returns to Prague—a "consecrational stage-festival play" exploring compassion, redemption, and the Holy Grail. Wagner strips away conventional drama for something closer to ritual, demanding patience and surrender from its audience.

The State Opera; March 26 and 29, 2026 (Premiere performances)

Two seniors meet by chance on an ordinary park bench. Three afternoons, no words—just pantomime set to Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. This Laterna magika production blends nonverbal theatre with film poetics, exploring loneliness, humor, and unexpected friendship in old age. Four performers, legendary Laterna magika artists, communicate entirely through gesture and coincidence.

La Fabrika; Feb. 1–2, April 19–20, June 7–8, 2026 (Premiere performances).

A world premiere triple-bill featuring new choreographies by international artists, created specifically for this production. Contemporary ballet at its most experimental—the evening promises work that challenges what bodies can do and what movement can mean.

The National Theatre; March 12 and 13, 2026 (Premiere performances)

The 13th edition of Prague’s contemporary circus festival returns with a week of provocative work across multiple venues. Leading Czech and international artists blend new circus with dance, physical theatre, and experimental music—acrobatics as an art form, not entertainment.

Palác Akropolis, ARCHA+, DOX, La Fabrika, and other venues; Feb. 8–14, 2026