Dublin Dance Festival opening: Trockadero gala

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo opens the 2026 Dublin Dance Festival at Bord Gáis Energy Theatre on Thursday, April 30, with a two-night run in Dublin. (dublindancefestival.ie) The company, widely known as the Trocks, is bringing its 50th Anniversary Tour to Dublin for performances on April 30 and May 1. Dublin Dance Festival lists the show as a two-hour program with two intervals. (dublindancefestival.ie) (trockadero.org) Dublin Dance Festival announced the 2026 edition on March 4 and said the festival will run from April 30 to May 16 across venues and public spaces in the city. The opening booking page lists tickets from €26.50 to €56.50. (dublindancefestival.ie 1) (dublindancefestival.ie 2) The Trocks built their reputation on performing classical ballet as satire while dancing it at a high technical level. The company describes itself as a gender-skewering comic ballet troupe that parodies the conventions of romantic and classical ballet. (trockadero.org) That makes the opening slot a statement about the kind of festival Dublin is staging this year: one that mixes humor, virtuosity and large public-facing events with new commissions and premieres. The festival program includes Emma Martin’s world premiere of *Soft God* at the Abbey Theatre alongside club nights, screenings, virtual reality work and free outdoor events. (dublindancefestival.ie) (rte.ie) Dance Consortium, which is presenting the company’s spring tour, says the Dublin dates are the first stop on a 14-venue Ireland and United Kingdom run that continues until June 24. After Dublin, the company is scheduled to play London, Cardiff, Wolverhampton and other cities. (danceconsortium.com) (onedanceuk.org) RTÉ said the 2026 festival will feature Irish and international artists in a citywide program, with events at places including the Abbey Theatre, the Irish Museum of Modern Art and Bewley’s Grafton Street. Dublin Dance Festival also said some events will take place on the streets of Dublin. (rte.ie) (dublindancefestival.ie) So the opening gala is not a one-off import so much as the front door to a two-week festival spread across theaters, galleries and public spaces. The first image Dublin is putting forward is the Trocks in pointe shoes on April 30. (dublindancefestival.ie 1) (dublindancefestival.ie 2)