Kyiv Ballet Brings Swan Lake & Sleeping Beauty to Lisbon and Porto

As Portugal prepares for the winter-to-spring cultural season, Kyiv Ballet has confirmed that its dazzling double bill of “Swan Lake” and “Sleeping Beauty” will stop first in Lisbon this December and then glide north to Porto in February. Portuguese audiences who have grown accustomed to sell-out visits from Ukrainian troupes can once again expect a dialogue of Tchaikovsky’s symphonic richness, Petipa’s enduring choreography, and the emotional precision that has become the company’s signature.

Spotlight on Lisbon dates

The capital will host the company at the Teatro Tivoli BBVA, where the ornate 1924 playhouse is set to transform into a realm of enchanted forests and moonlit lakes between 5 and 7 December 2025. On the first two evenings the corps tackles the white-act grandeur of Odette’s doomed love story, while the third night shifts to the opulent fairy-tale world of Aurora and her spindle-borne curse. For Lisbon residents it means three consecutive nights of contrasting moods: the tragic lyricism of swans at twilight followed by the ceremonial splendour of a royal wedding. Box-office data already indicates brisk sales, a familiar pattern ever since Kyiv Ballet’s Portuguese debut in 2019, when queues wound along Avenida da Liberdade hours before curtain-up.

Porto awaits its swans

Up the coast, anticipation centres on 10 February 2026, when Coliseu Porto Ageas, the city’s Art Deco landmark, welcomes “Swan Lake” for a single 21:00 performance. The timing—within the run-up to Valentine’s Day—adds an extra layer of romance for northern spectators. Technical crews are planning a subtle revamp of the production’s lighting plot to make full use of the Coliseu’s vast proscenium arch, while principal dancers rehearse an extended Black Swan coda said to push tempos beyond the traditional 32 fouettés. Porto’s tourism bureau is already promoting weekend packages that pair the ballet with river-front hotel stays, signalling how cultural events of this scale increasingly feed the local hospitality economy.

Why Portugal keeps coming back

There is an evident chemistry between Portuguese theatre-goers and Ukrainian classical dance. Since the troupe’s founding in 2017 by Viktor Ishchuk, a former soloist of the Kyiv Opera, it has played more than 700 performances worldwide; Portugal features prominently on that map, consistently delivering capacity houses. Local critics point to a shared appreciation for lyrical storytelling—the same instinct that packs fado clubs in Alfama or Coimbra. While “The Nutcracker” and “Don Quixote” introduced Kyiv Ballet to Iberian spectators, it is the emotional transparency of “Swan Lake” that appears to resonate most strongly, echoing Portugal’s own cultural affection for stories of saudade and unattainable love.

The company’s mission amid conflict

Touring today means far more than prestige engagements. Since Russia’s 2022 invasion, Ukrainian ensembles have recast every curtain-call as an act of cultural resistance. Kyiv Ballet operates predominantly outside its home city, coordinating visas, costumes and freight from makeshift bases across Europe. Ishchuk often reminds journalists that “technique must serve feeling”, a mantra that now doubles as commentary on national identity under siege. Revenue from each Portuguese ticket includes a €1 donation to UNICEF, earmarked for children caught in the war’s humanitarian fallout. This integration of philanthropy and artistry has helped the company secure grants, air-cargo sponsorships and, crucially, the goodwill of presenters who might otherwise hesitate to book large-scale touring productions.

Practicalities: seats, prices and social impact

Tickets went on public sale through Ticketline in early November and are tracking ahead of comparable classical events. Standard seats in Lisbon begin at €25, with premium boxes reaching €58; Porto’s scale allows a slightly lower entry price of €22 but tops out near €60 for central stalls. Those figures factor in an absence of live orchestra—a pragmatic choice that reduces freight costs and enables more of the gross to flow toward both performer salaries and the UNICEF contribution. For spectators curious about casting, Kyiv Ballet generally posts the evening’s principals on its social media channels 24 hours in advance, allowing fans to follow favourites such as Khrystyna Stakhovska or Oleksii Tutunytskyi across consecutive nights.

Securing a seat therefore means more than witnessing virtuoso thirty-two fouettés; it is a chance for Portuguese audiences to participate in a cultural relay that links the Tagus and Douro rivers to the Dnipro, affirming through applause that classical ballet—much like Portugal’s own artistic heritage—endures even when geopolitics grow turbulent.