Varna International Ballet Announces New UK Tour

RG Live will present the return of the celebrated Varna International Ballet and Orchestra to the UK following a breathtaking debut tour in 2023. The company will visit 20 venues around the UK in 2025 with beloved classics Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and Romeo and Juliet.

Founded in 1947 and renowned for its award-winning soloists and magnificent corps de ballet, Varna International Ballet has been delighting audiences for decades at home in Bulgaria and abroad with performances of the highest quality.

Led by Artistic Director Daniela Dimova, with Music Director and Chief Conductor Peter Tuleshkov, Varna International Ballet presents much-loved classics to charm audiences who are new to ballet and balletomanes alike. The tour begins in Manchester on 2 January 2025, and visits Buxton, Bristol, Liverpool, Blackpool, Edinburgh, Basingstoke, Ipswich, Southend, Brighton, Nottingham, Reading, Oxford, Darlington, Wimbledon, Norwich, Hull, Sheffield, Leicester and Northampton, where it finishes on 5 March.

Artistic Director Daniela Dimova said: “We are thrilled to be bringing our highly talented company of dancers and musicians back to the UK. We can't wait to perform for British audiences again and to bring these magical ballets to life on stage.”

The Nutcracker begins as night falls on Christmas Eve. When midnight strikes, we are swept away to a fairy-tale world where nothing is quite as it seems: toy dolls spring to life, the Mouse King and his army battle with the Nutcracker Prince and we travel through the Land of Snow to an enchanted place where the magic really begins. The spellbinding ballet features Tchaikovsky's timeless score, and stunning choreography by Vasily Vainonen, revised by Sergey Bobrov.

Often considered the greatest romantic ballet of all time, Swan Lake is brought to life by Tchaikovsky's haunting and unforgettable score, with choreography by Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, Sergey Bobrov and Natalia Matus-Marchuk. From the impressive splendour of the Palace ballroom to the moon-lit lake where swans glide in perfect formation, this compelling tale of tragic romance has it all.

Shakespeare's tale of primal passion and timeless tragedy Romeo and Juliet is set to Prokofiev's soaring score, with emotionally-charged choreography by Sergey Bobrov and Bakhytzhan Smagulov that befits the world's greatest love story. From the grandeur of the masked ball to the intimacy of the lovers' balcony, this story of duels, bitter family feuds and love that cannot be is unmissable.   For more information, interviews, press tickets or images, please contact Caroline Ansdell at CAPR on caroline@capr.co.uk

Full tour details:   MANCHESTER
The Bridgewater Hall
Bridgewater-hall.co.uk
2 Jan Nutcracker 2.30pm & 7pm
3 Jan Swan Lake 2.30pm & 7pm

BUXTON Opera House
buxtonoperahouse.org.uk
4 Jan Swan Lake 2pm & 7pm
5 Jan Nutcracker 2pm & 5.30pm

BRISTOL Hippodrome
atgtickets.com/Bristol
7 Jan Romeo and Juliet 7.30pm
8 Jan Nutcracker 2.30pm & 7.30pm
9 Jan Swan Lake 7.30pm

LIVERPOOL Empire Theatre
atgtickets.com/Liverpool
10 Jan Swan Lake 7.30pm
11 Jan Nutcracker 2.30pm & 7.30pm

BLACKPOOL Grand Theatre
blackpoolgrand.co.uk
13 Jan Romeo and Juliet 7.30pm
14 Jan Swan Lake 7.30pm
15 Jan Nutcracker 2.30pm & 7.30pm

EDINBURGH Playhouse
atgtickets.com/Edinburgh
16 Jan Romeo and Juliet 7.30pm
17 Jan Swan Lake 7.30pm
18 Jan Nutcracker 2.30pm & 7.30pm

BASINGSTOKE The Anvil
anvilarts.org.uk
21 Jan Nutcracker 7.30pm
22 Jan Swan Lake 7.30pm

IPSWICH Regent Theatre
ipswichregenttheatres.co.uk
23 Jan Romeo and Juliet 7.30pm
24 Jan Swan Lake 7.30pm
25 Jan Nutcracker 2.30pm & 7.30pm

SOUTHEND Cliffs Pavilion
thecliffspavilion.co.uk
26 Jan Nutcracker 2pm & 5.30pm
16 Feb Swan Lake 2pm & 5.30pm

BRIGHTON Theatre Royal
atgtickets.com/brighton
27 Jan Romeo and Juliet 7.45pm
28 Jan Swan Lake 7.45pm
29 Jan Nutcracker 2.30pm & 7.45pm

NOTTINGHAM
Royal Concert Hall
trch.co.uk
30 Jan Romeo and Juliet 7.30pm
31 Jan Swan Lake 7.30pm
1 Feb Nutcracker 2.30pm & 7.30pm

READING The Hexagon
whatsonreading.com
2 Feb Nutcracker 2pm & 5.30pm
3 Feb Swan Lake 7.30pm

OXFORD New Theatre
atgtickets.com/oxford
5 Feb Nutcracker 7.30pm 6 Feb Swan Lake 2.30pm & 7.30pm
7 Feb Romeo and Juliet 7.30pm

DARLINGTON Hippodrome
darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk
8 Feb Nutcracker 2.30pm & 7.30pm
9 Feb Swan Lake 2.30pm
10 Feb Romeo and Juliet 7.30pm

WIMBLEDON New Theatre
atgtickets.com/Wimbledon
13 Feb Swan Lake 7.30pm
14 Feb Swan Lake 7.30pm
15 Feb Nutcracker 2.30pm & 7.30pm

NORWICH Theatre Royal
norwichtheatre.org
17 Feb Romeo and Juliet 7.30pm
18 Feb Nutcracker 2.30pm & 7.30pm
19 Feb Swan Lake 2.30pm & 7.30pm

HULL New Theatre
hulltheatres.co.uk
20 Feb Romeo and Juliet 7.30pm
21 Feb Swan Lake 7.30pm
22 Feb Nutcracker 2.30pm & 7.30pm

SHEFFIELD City Hall
Sheffieldcityhall.co.uk
23 Feb Swan Lake 3.30pm
24 Feb Swan Lake 7.30pm

LEICESTER De Montford Hall
demontfordhall.co.uk
27 Feb Nutcracker 7.30pm
28 Feb Romeo and Juliet 7.30pm
1 Mar Swan Lake 2.30pm & 7.30pm

NORTHAMPTON
Royal & Derngate
royalandderngate.co.uk
3 Mar Romeo and Juliet 7.30pm
4 Mar Swan Lake 7.30pm
5 Mar Nutcracker 2.30pm & 7.30pm   Tickets available from rg.live