THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE UNVEILS A 2025-2026 SEASON FULL OF UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCES

May 15, 2025 – OTTAWA, CANADA

The National Arts Centre’s commitment to Canadian artists and stories will be on full display in the 2025-2026 season with some exciting firsts, including a Macbeth-meets-bikers mashup, a skateboard ramp on centre stage, and much more.

The 2025-2026 season lineup includes a rich offering of co-creations and new works, as well as some cherished classics. Seven productions on our stages were developed with support from the NAC’s National Creation Fund, which since 2018 has invested $15 million in 100 ambitious new works that have premiered on stages across the country and achieved national and international success.

“We are thrilled to invite audiences to experience a wide range of incredible programming, from the classics to truly exciting new works in music, theatre and dance,” said NAC President and CEO Christopher Deacon. “Our 2025-2026 season includes compelling creation from brilliant Canadian artists that tell the many stories of who we are. Now more than ever, Canada is our stage.”

Our audiences can look forward to nine world premieres: four on the theatre stages, one dance performance and four by the National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO). These commissions will cement Alexander Shelley’s legacy of innovation and collaboration for his final season as NACO Music Director.

The NAC’s creative focus is evident in all areas of the upcoming theatre season. Our work towards reconciliation continues with Indigenous Theatre Artistic Director Kevin Loring’s culturally rich programming. A high point of his seventh season is the world premiere of Rose, a long-awaited musical by legendary playwright Tomson Highway. The third chapter in his Rez Cycle, Rose makes its professional debut at the NAC, having never been staged due to its scale and ambition. English Theatre Artistic Director Nina Lee Aquino will direct two world premieres, with both large-scale new works premiering in Ottawa ―Copperbelt by Natasha Mumba and cicadas by David Yee and Chris Thornborrow. The French Theatre season, led by Artistic Director Mani Soleymanlou, includes the world premiere of Visages by Alexia Bürger, as well as the highly anticipated production of Macbeth, directed by the internationally renowned playwright and former Artistic Director of NAC’s French Theatre, Robert Lepage.

One of the many ways in which the NAC plays a vital role in the Canadian performing arts is by partnering with exceptional Canadian theatre and dance companies from across the country. The 2025-2026 season presents a dozen co-creations set to enthrall audiences, including many in dance. After her compelling first season, NAC Dance Executive Producer Caroline Ohrt presents five new co-productions this coming season.

Heather Gibson, Executive Producer, Popular Music and Variety, will continue to showcase emerging and established Canadian artists on the NAC’s stages including critically acclaimed singer-songwriters Martha Wainwright and Ariane Moffatt. And artistic programmers continue to build out the roster throughout the season.

Zones Théâtrales, the biennial festival that showcases Francophone theatre from across Canada and the regions of Quebec, returns in September with its 11th edition. And the family-friendly BIG BANG Festival, always a delight for parents and children, is back in February 2026.