Glasgow 2026: Glasgow Dancers and Communities to Join Scottish Dance Theatre at Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony.
Scottish Dance Theatre will take centre stage at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony, bringing together professional dancers and community performers for a major celebration of movement, culture and connection.
The internationally recognised company will feature in the Opening Ceremony at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow on Thursday, 23 July 2026.
Scottish Dance Theatre Artistic Director and choreographer Joan Clevillé is creating a special section of the ceremony in collaboration with Ceremony Director Roxana Cole and overall choreographer Emily Jane Boyle.
The performance will bring together Glasgow-based professional dancers and community participants, providing a major platform for the city’s creative talent and reflecting the inclusive spirit of the Commonwealth Games.
Although the full details of the ceremony remain under wraps, the Scottish Dance Theatre section is expected to explore themes of community, solidarity and human connection.
These values reflect both Glasgow’s reputation as a welcoming and culturally diverse city and Scottish Dance Theatre’s history of bringing people together through contemporary dance.
Clevillé said it was a privilege for the company to contribute to the ceremony during its landmark 40th anniversary season.
“Dance feels deeply connected to the spirit of the Games,” he said. “Both celebrate the beauty, strength and resilience of the human body, and both bring people together across cultures, languages and borders.”
He added that the Opening Ceremony would offer Scottish Dance Theatre an extraordinary level of national and international visibility, with thousands attending the event in person and many more watching through television and digital coverage.
The company is particularly excited to work alongside Glasgow-based dancers and local community performers, helping to showcase the city’s creativity, warmth and generous spirit.
Scottish Dance Theatre’s involvement comes during one of the most significant years in its history. Founded in 1986 and based at Dundee Rep, the company is celebrating four decades of performance, artistic experimentation and community engagement.
It was also recently named Best Mid-Scale Company at the Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards, further strengthening its reputation as Scotland’s flagship contemporary dance company.
The company launched its anniversary celebrations with a new double bill featuring Rotten Work by internationally acclaimed choreographer Emilie Leriche and The Game of Life by Swiss choreographer Edouard Hue. The programme will tour from October.
Scottish Dance Theatre will also take Ray and Little Ray to smaller and rural venues across Scotland. Created by Meytal Blanaru, the intimate productions explore the power of movement and connection. Little Ray has been developed for children aged three to five and their caregivers.
Performance image from Rotten Work, The Game of Life, Ray or Little Ray.
The anniversary season will conclude with a special gala at Dundee Rep on 31 October, bringing together artists, audiences and communities that have contributed to the company’s history.
Scottish Dance Theatre has performed across four continents, taking its work from village halls, schools and community spaces in Scotland to major international theatres and festivals.
Its appearance at Glasgow 2026 will provide another defining moment in that journey, placing Scottish contemporary dance and Glasgow’s community talent before a worldwide audience.
Tickets for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony are available through the official Glasgow 2026 website.
Glasgow 2026 Opening Ceremony will take place inside the OVO Hydro in Glasgow
