PRAGUE ON POINT

The world's top ballet dancers are coming to Prague. The new international festival PRAGUE ON POINT, organized by renowned choreographer Jiří Bubeníček, will bring top soloists from Paris, Berlin, and New York to the capital from June to October. Audiences can look forward to two spectacular gala evenings at the Karlín Music Theater, the Prague premiere of Kafka: The Trial, a new autumn production set to music by Igor Stravinsky, and international master classes at the State Opera. The festival aims to place Prague alongside the world's most important ballet capitals.

programme

• June 16, 2026 — Opening ceremony at the Goethe-Institut — press conference, free admission
• June 16, 2026 — Launch of the book “Rozhovor s Jiřím Bubeníčkem” (Conversation with Jiří Bubeníček) and meeting with the authors
• June 17 and 18, 2026 — Bubeníček International Ballet Gala — two gala evenings at the Karlín Music Theater with an awards ceremony for young talents and personalities for their lifetime achievements
  Polina Semionova, prima ballerina of the Berlin State Opera and guest star of the American Ballet Theatre in New York, considered one of the most outstanding ballerinas of her generation, will be coming to Prague. The audience can also look forward to dancers from the Opéra National de Paris, Dutch National Ballet, Staatsballett Berlin, Wiener Staatsballett, and other prestigious companies. The evenings will also feature new choreographies by Jiří Bubeníček, which will be presented in the Czech Republic for the first time. The program will be complemented by live music and a festive presentation of festival awards to young talents and personalities for their lifetime contribution to dance and theater.
• June 19, 2026 — Kafka: The Trial. The Prague premiere of this acclaimed production will be danced by the National Theatre in Košice, Slovakia.
• 4th annual Bubeníček Ballet Masterclasses (July 27 — August 9, 2026, State Opera) — courses for young dancers and dance school students, and for the first time also courses for adults
• Premiere October 2026 — The festival’s closing ceremony will feature the premiere of Dance with the Devil, a new choreography by Jiří Bubeníček set to music by Igor Stravinsky, and will also open a series of repeat performances at Jatka78. Les Ballets Bubeníček will present this production with a famous actor and dancer.

PRAGUE ON POINT is the first specialized ballet platform of its kind in Prague. While there are festivals focused on contemporary dance in the Czech Republic, a world-class ballet showcase has been lacking until now.

The festival’s founder, Jiří Bubeníček, is one of the most respected figures in contemporary ballet. A former principal dancer with the Hamburg Ballet and the Semperoper Ballet in Dresden, he is the recipient of the prestigious Benois de la Danse award and the author of more than seventy choreographies performed on stages around the world. In 2017, he was awarded the Silver Medal of the City of Prague.

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