Ready to settle into a plush red velvet seat and enjoy the season's best performances after a sunny afternoon strolling on a terrace? Count us in! On the agenda this spring: the hypnotic ballet by Angelin Preljocaj at La Seine Musicale, a reimagined La Traviata with a 2026 twist, and a 100% Parisian opéra-bouffe. Three grandiose shows you shouldn't miss—a true concentrate of grace and celebration to book urgently to vibrate to the rhythm of the City of Light!
Requiem(s) at La Seine Musicale
We can never praise the magic of Angelin Preljocaj's dance performances enough. With no fewer than 60 pieces under his belt, the French choreographer—envied by the entire world!—stands out for his precise, almost architectural stagings, always supported by powerful music and playing with light and video effects. Unveiled in 2024, his ballet Requiem(s) is back at La Seine Musicale, featuring 19 high-energy performers and tracks with eclectic influences ranging from Mozart to System of a Down, Ligeti, and even medieval chants.
Preljocaj, at the peak of his art, unveils a mesmerizing fresco on the theme of grief, which through his optimistic lens becomes a true celebration of life. Having lost several loved ones in 2023, the dance genius set out to desanctify the feelings of infinite sadness that follow, offering a comforting outlet. On stage, death and its aftermath are interpreted by a swirling troupe full of life, whose body movements are enhanced by Eleonora Peronetti's costumes and Éric Soyer's lighting. "I would like to try to transcribe this wonderful sensation of the miracle of existing. A celebration of life, in a way," confides Preljocaj, who signs one of the most powerful works of his career with Requiem(s).
Requiem(s) by Angelin Preljocaj, from May 6 to 9, 2026, at 8:30 PM at La Seine Musicale, 1 Île Seguin, 92100 Boulogne Billancourt.
© Didier Philispart / Yang Wang
La Traviata at Opéra Bastille
You likely know La Traviata, Verdi's timeless opera that breaks the rules: seduction, prostitution, reputation... ultimately, the 19th-century Pretty Woman in opera form! The bold staging of this adaptation, to be discovered starting in early June in the modern setting of Opéra Bastille, was entrusted to Simon Stone who, true to his reputation, appropriates La Traviata and exercises his unique talent: recontextualizing eternal human relationship dilemmas within a contemporary framework that speaks directly to us.
In this version, Violetta (the protagonist) is not a courtesan trading her body, but a social media star selling her image in a race for likes and followers. This three-act opera, inspired by La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas fils, tells the passionate love story between Violetta and Alfredo. But behind Verdi's catchy chords and his famous Libiamo ne' lieti calici (taaa, ta tata, ta tata, ta ta taaaaa… you get it?), the staging composes a fierce underlying critique of our patriarchal and hyper-connected society of appearances. A must-see.
La Traviata, from June 4 to July 13 at L’Opéra Bastille, Place de la Bastille, Paris 12th.
© Benjamin Bernheim / Charles Duprat / Vahid Amanpour
La Vie parisienne at Théâtre du Châtelet
The genius of Jacques Offenbach, the true king of opéra-bouffe who knew better than anyone how to make the French spirit sparkle, needs no introduction. Created in 1866 amidst the excitement of the Great Boulevards, La Vie parisienne takes over Théâtre du Châtelet from June 12 to July 11. A true sonic and visual "photograph" of Paris at the end of the Second Empire, this evocatively named show depicts our capital as a world-city. A burlesque work that has never stopped entertaining us since the end of the 19th century.
In this new production, the creative duo formed by Valérie Lesort (director) and Éric Ruf (scenographer) takes on this joyful score to offer us a mirror of our own human comedy. Accompanied by the Comédie-Française troupe and Vanessa Sannino's dreamlike costumes, they play with the inversion of social roles and the game of appearances (the great codes of commedia dell’arte) between wide-eyed tourists and watchful demimondaines. Under Offenbach's bold tunes, this show doesn't just celebrate the art of partying: it casts an ironic and critical eye on a society of appearances that, from 1860 to today, perhaps hasn't changed that much. A sparkling rendezvous not to be missed to end the season in style!
La Vie parisienne, from June 12 to July 11 at Théâtre du Châtelet, 1 place du Châtelet, Paris 1st.
© Thomas Amouroux
Also discover 5 fascinating documentaries to boost your general knowledge and 7 free exhibitions to discover right now
