The world's biggest Swan Lake

The Shanghai Ballet returns to Rotterdam with The World’s Biggest Swan Lake, a spectacular production of Tchaikovsky’s ballet featuring 48 swans on stage instead of the traditional 24.

Created by British ballet director Derek Deane, this large-scale version transforms Swan Lake through its sheer number of dancers and carefully constructed formations. The famous corps de ballet scenes expand across the stage in shifting patterns, creating an unusually grand interpretation of a work first performed almost 150 years ago.

Shanghai Ballet previously brought the production to Luxor in 2023, when performances sold out. The company now returns to the Nieuwe Luxor Theater for another run, combining classical choreography with the scale and precision of one of China’s leading ballet companies.

At the centre remains Tchaikovsky’s familiar story and score, but the expanded ensemble gives the iconic white acts an added visual impact.

Details

Event: The World’s Biggest Swan Lake
Company: Shanghai Ballet
Dates: Friday 11 to Sunday 20 September 2026
Location: Nieuwe Luxor Theater, Rotterdam
Tickets: €42.50 to €89, excluding service costs
Genre: Ballet and classical dance
Choreography/production: Derek Deane
Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Running time: Approximately 2 hours 35 minutes
Special feature: 48 swans on stage instead of the traditional 24