Elixir Festival 2026: Performances, Workshops, Talks and more available to book now

Elixir Festival takes over Sadler’s Wells Theatre in Islington and Sadler’s Wells East in Stratford for a week in April with a series of performances, workshops, films, and talks that challenge perceptions around dance and ageing. With productions from iconic international artists and showcases from community dance groups in north and east London, the Festival asks: how do we express our changing bodies and minds as we grow and age?

Elixir Festival opens with the UK premiere of Kontakthof – Echoes of ’78 (Sadler’s Wells Theatre, 7-11 April), a Sadler’s Wells, Pina Bausch Foundation and Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch production. This encounter with Bausch’s seminal work by former company member Meryl Tankard sees her reunite with other members from the original 1978 cast. This poignant work integrates projections of archival footage from their performances as younger dancers with company members no longer with us on stage.

Following a virtuosic performance at the 2024 Elixir Festival, Canadian powerhouse Louise Lecavalier returns with a brand-new solo, danses vagabondes (Sadler’s Wells East, 10-11 April) inspired by Italian physicist Carlo Rovelli’s Écrits Vagabonds.

Sadler’s Wells resident Company of Elders is back with a double bill, including work by John-William Watson and Charlotta Öfverholm (Sadler’s Wells East, 8 April).

Across the week, Sadler’s Wells will also host two experience workshops for anyone 60+ who would like to get a taste of the Company’s work. Throughout the Festival, there will also be free workshops and classes taking place on The Dancefloor at Sadler’s Wells East, including flamenco dance, Indian contemporary and Bollywood, lindy hop and Argentine tango.

On Friday 10 April, a special Cinema Club screening in the Lilian Baylis Studio includes a talk with Meryl Tankard, a screening of Dancing Through Time (a film created by Sadler’s Well’s Digital Stage that takes you behind-the-scenes of the creation of Kontakthof – Echoes of ’78), and the UK premiere screening of Meryl Tankard’s one-woman tour-de-force performance Two Feet.

Meryl Tankard and members of the Kontakthof – Echoes of ’78 cast will be joined by Salomon Bausch, Founder and Director of the Pina Bausch Foundation at Sadler’s Wells East on Sunday 12 April, to discuss their lives and careers including their work with Pina Bausch, and their thoughts around creativity and ageing.

Kontakthof – Echoes of ’78 cast member Beatrice Libonati will also host a special movement workshop for over 60s in the Martha Graham Studio on Sunday 12 April.

The Festival concludes at Sadler’s Wells East on Sunday 12 April with Get Into Dance Festival which features a public performance of Pina Bausch’s iconic Nelken Line at 1:45pm.

Members of the cast of Kontakthof – Echoes of ’78 will lead an intergenerational line through Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and will be joined by the Company of Elders, Elders Fellows, National Youth Dance Company and Get Into Dance community groups. Get Into Dance Festival will also include free public performances from our many community partners on The Dance Floor at Sadler’s Wells East. 

Find out more about Elixir Festival 2026: https://www.sadlerswells.com/elixir-festival-2026/