Nutcracker Singapore 2026: two ballets, dates and prices

The Nutcracker comes to Singapore twice this year, in two separate productions. The State Ballet of Georgia dances it at Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands, from Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 November 2026, with seats listed from S$48 on 1 November under dynamic pricing. Singapore Ballet stages its own version at Esplanade Theatre from Wednesday 9 to Sunday 13 December 2026, with live music and seats from S$55 (S$44 on a limited student, NSF and senior ticket). Both fall inside the school holidays, both run just under two hours with one interval, and both require a ticket for every child.

Which Nutcracker should you book in Singapore this year?

Both companies' pages tell the same story: Clara is given a nutcracker doll at Christmas, which leads her through a battle with the Mouse King, a snowy kingdom and the Kingdom of Sweets, where the Sugar Plum Fairy welcomes her. The differences are practical.

• State Ballet of Georgia, Sands Theatre (26 to 29 November). A touring company of 60, returning after a season of Swan Lake, according to the show page. Choose it if you want the earlier date, a 7.30pm evening start rather than 8pm, or a Sunday 5.30pm show that finishes around 7.25pm (our arithmetic). Prices move with demand, and the page does not say whether the music is played live.
• Singapore Ballet, Esplanade Theatre (9 to 13 December). Choreographed and staged by artistic director Janek Schergen, with the Metropolitan Festival Orchestra playing live, according to Singapore Ballet's production page. Choose it if a live orchestra matters, if you want published category prices with a bundle-of-four deal, or if you prefer a December date closer to Christmas.
• Only the music. The Singapore Symphony Orchestra's Christmas concert at Esplanade Concert Hall on 11 and 12 December pairs Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker with Rutter's Gloria and Christmas medley singalongs; its event page says the event is eligible for SG Culture Pass credits. Our guide to December at Esplanade has the prices.

How much do Nutcracker tickets cost in Singapore?

At Esplanade (Singapore Ballet). The event page lists three ticket types:

• Standard: Cat 1 S$95, Cat 2 S$75, Cat 3 S$55.
• VIP: S$110.
• Students, NSFs and seniors (limited): Cat 1 S$76, Cat 2 S$60, Cat 3 S$44.
• Group discounts: a bundle of four saves 20%; ten or more tickets save 25%.

Singapore Ballet's page gives the same S$110, S$95, S$75 and S$55, "excluding SISTIC fee". Esplanade's visitor FAQs set that fee per ticket by price: S$4 from S$40.01 to S$50, S$5 from S$50.01 to S$70 and S$6 above S$70.

At Sands Theatre (State Ballet of Georgia). Every price on the show page is listed as "onwards" and the page says dynamic pricing applies, so read these as the starting prices shown on 1 November, not what you will pay at checkout. The page carries two price lists with different category names:

• Main list, Grand Circle: E Reserve from S$48, D Reserve from S$68, C Reserve (obstructed view) from S$78.
• Main list, other seats: UOB Exclusive Dress Circle from S$158; Premium with Souvenir Programme from S$208.
• Main list, boxes of four seats: Grand Circle Box from S$632; UOB Exclusive VIP Box from S$752.
• Summary panel: from S$48, with VIP from S$188, A Reserve from S$158, B Reserve from S$128 and C Reserve from S$78.

The page does not explain how the two lists relate, so compare categories on the seat map at checkout. Prices exclude a booking fee that the page does not quantify, and all ticket sales are final.

A worked example (illustrative, with an invented family). Two parents and two children want Cat 2 at Esplanade:

1. Four standard Cat 2 seats: 4 × S$75 = S$300.
2. With the bundle-of-four saving of 20%: S$240, or S$60 a seat.
3. Booking fees: S$6 a ticket if charged on the S$75 list price, or S$5 if charged on the S$60 discounted price, so S$260 to S$264 in all (our arithmetic; the pages do not say which applies).

Two things follow. The bundle brings each seat to exactly the concession price, so a family of four does not need anyone to qualify for a concession ticket. And at Sands Theatre the same family in D Reserve would start at 4 × S$68 = S$272 before fees, using the starting price listed on 1 November; under dynamic pricing the checkout figure may be higher. Splitting the bill between two households? Our group cost calculator works out each share, and our SISTIC booking fee example explains the fee bands.

Is The Nutcracker suitable for young children?

It is the classic first ballet, but the two venues set different rules.

• Minimum age: Sands Theatre recommends ages 3 and above and admits no child below 3; children under 12 must be with a parent or guardian. Esplanade's page admits ages 4 and above and says no infants in arms.
• Every child pays: the Sands Theatre page says tickets are required for all patrons; Esplanade's says children 4 and above must buy a ticket.
• Latecomers: both venues hold latecomers until a suitable break, which in a ballet can be a long wait. Esplanade advises being seated 15 minutes before the start; Sands Theatre opens its doors 60 minutes before.
• Effects: the Sands Theatre page warns that the production may use strobe lighting, fog or haze.
• Booster seats: available at Sands Theatre on a first-come basis, or bring your own.
• Photography: not allowed during either performance.

When the show ends (our arithmetic from the listed running times, which include the interval): at Esplanade, the 1pm show finishes at about 2.50pm, the 2pm show at about 3.50pm, the Sunday 7pm show at about 8.50pm and the 8pm shows at about 9.50pm. At Sands Theatre, the 1pm show ends at about 2.55pm, the 2pm show at about 3.55pm, the 5.30pm show at about 7.25pm and the 7.30pm shows at about 9.25pm. With schools on holiday, a weekday evening is less of a problem than usual, but a matinee may suit younger children better.

If you were hoping for Singapore Ballet's one-hour version for young audiences, Introduction to The Nutcracker, it played on 3 October at Esplanade Concert Hall and its page shows it sold out. The December run is the full ballet.

What to check before you book

1. Pick the date first. Sands Theatre runs four days only; Esplanade runs five, with two shows each on Saturday and Sunday.
2. Count the ages. A three-year-old can go to Sands Theatre but not to Esplanade.
3. Group the tickets. At Esplanade, four tickets on one booking trigger the 20% bundle and ten trigger 25%. Esplanade's ticketing page warns that concession tickets may be checked at entry and must be upgraded without proof.
4. Check SG Culture Pass. Unlike the SSO concert, the Nutcracker's Esplanade page carried no SG Culture Pass notice when we read it on 1 November, though the October children's version did. Ask Singapore Ballet before counting on credits; our SG Culture Pass guide explains how the credits work.
5. Schools and access. Singapore Ballet's page says secondary schools, junior colleges, the Centralised Institute and ITEs may use the Tote Board Arts Grant for up to 50% of the cost. For wheelchair and companion seats at Sands Theatre, the page asks you to contact its box office.
6. Plan the group outing. Our guide to planning a concert outing for a group covers who books, who pays and where to meet.

For more seasonal plans, see the going-out topic page.

Common questions