The Nutcracker is the show that lets a ballet company be brave the rest of the year: The Christmas perennial that reliably fills the house. Cape Town City Ballet brings its production to the Artscape from 11 December 2026.1
Cape Town City Ballet traces its line back to the UCT Ballet Company, founded by Dulcie Howes in 1934.2 Its Nutcracker is a heritage staging: Choreographed by Veronica Paeper, with sets and costumes by Peter Cazalet, set to Tchaikovsky's score and following Clara's journey.1
The appeal is the familiarity. The Nutcracker is how many people meet ballet at all - the growing Christmas tree, the Waltz of the Flowers - and a long-established company knows how to land it for a first-timer and a regular in the same evening.
If you are weighing whether to go: This is the large-scale family ballet of the season. Tickets run from R200 to R550.3
