The world-famous ballet “The Nutcracker” is just as much a part of the Christmas season as “Swan Lake” or the opera “Hansel and Gretel”. In Munich, you can see the magical dance performance live every year in Munich’s theaters, this year in several productions. However, if you would prefer to experience the ballet on the big screen, you will soon have the opportunity to do so. The opulent production by the Royal Ballet & Opera from London will be available for you to watch live in Munich cinemas.
From flop to worldwide sensation
Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” from 1892 is now world-famous and the fairy tale is performed on stages around the globe during the Christmas season. However, it is actually considered the weakest of Tchaikovsky’s three ballets and was criticized at the time for its choreography, which was considered a waste of the beautiful music.
Nevertheless, the ballet fairy tale, which is based on both E. T. A. Hoffman’s story and the libretto by Alexandre Dumas, is an absolute classic and continues to resonate with audiences. The two-act adventure of the courageous Clara, who confronts the Mouse King in order to rescue the transformed Nutcracker, enchants young and old alike and is a firm fixture of the pre-Christmas season for many.
A royal production in Munich cinemas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-CwMdtpq1A
This year, London’s Royal Opera House is once again staging the production by famous choreographer Peter Wright, which premiered in 1984. The impressive performance lasts two hours and 20 minutes, including the interval, and will whisk you away to a Christmas wonderland. And you can be there without having to travel to the UK.
On December 10, “The Nutcracker” by the Royal Ballet will be broadcast live in nine cinemas in and around Munich. It starts at 8:15 pm and you can experience the ballet larger than life with surround sound on the big screen. These are the participating cinemas:
- Gloria Filmpalast, Munich
- Neues Rex, Munich
- Solln Cinema, Munich
- Scala, Fürstenfeldbrück
- Cineplex, Germering
- Cineplex, Erding
- Breitwand cinema, Gauting
- FoolsKINO, Holzirchen
- Filmstation, Gilching
If you can’t make it to the cinema on Wednesday, you will have another opportunity to watch the dance performance on Sunday, 11.01.2026 in the Astor Filmlounge at 1 pm. If you are generally enthusiastic about ballet and want to experience a very special performance live, then the Ballet of Lights could be exciting for you.