The town is dancing – and everyone is invited

Editor Sari Pamer

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ZÜRICH TANZT brings the diversity of the city’s dance scene to life: five events you shouldn’t miss at the festival.

It’s finally that time of year again: every May, ZÜRICH TANZT brings local, national and international dance to life all across the city. The programme is packed with a variety of events to watch and take part in. Find out here which five events I particularly recommend.

Exercise at lunchtime

Kick off the festival week with the Lunchtime Moves. Every lunchtime, for 20 minutes, dance professionals from the ZÜRICH TANZT programme will lead short movement sessions. The sessions take place online and are perfect for your lunch break in the park or right in the office.

4–8 May 2026, 12:00–12:20 daily, online

Jump the Rhythm

At Hit Out , Bürkliplatz becomes a dance floor and skipping ropes become rhythm instruments. Voices and electronic sounds blend with the sound of the skipping ropes to create an energetic choreography, expressing freedom and rebellion. Let yourself be swept away by this energy and enjoy an open-air performance.

7 May 2026, 5.30 pm to 6.00 pm, Bürkliplatz Pavilion, Stadthausanlage, 8001 Zurich

A solo piece on pop music

Do you still remember MTV music videos? In Wannabe , choreographer and dancer Kiyan Khoshoie takes us back to his childhood, when – captivated by boy bands and pop music – he used to rehearse the choreography, gestures and poses from music videos in his bedroom. Even today, he still feels the power of this music and has created a solo piece inspired by pop music. Let Beyoncé and the Backstreet Boys catapult you back to your childhood and take a modern look at these pop icons.

7 May 2026, 8.00 pm to 9.00 pm & 8 May 2026, 7.00 pm to 8.00 pm, Tanzhaus Zürich

Discovering the body

If you’d rather get involved yourself than just watch, a crash course is just the thing for you. At Kulturhaus Helferei, you can try out Corpo Único / The Art of BoomKaKa’ – an invitation to all bodies and their potential for movement. Through improvisational exercises, physicality and body awareness are explored in a playful way. Experience the joy of discovering and unfolding unique bodies. The event is aimed at all age groups and is suitable for people with a wide range of physical abilities. No prior dance experience is necessary.

8 May 2026, 6.00 pm to 6.50 pm, Kulturhaus Helferei

An afternoon of dancing

Would you like to see as much variety as possible in a short space of time? Then Showtime Sunntig is the place for you. On Sunday afternoon, over 30 performance groups from Zurich and the surrounding area will be showcasing their talents. From K-pop and Latvian folk dance to tap dancing and flamenco. At the GZ Heuried, a diverse dance scene full of energy and surprises awaits you. And of course, there’ll be coffee and cake, just as you’d expect on a cosy Sunday.

10 May 2026, 3.00 pm to 8.00 pm, GZ Heuried

Oracle

And for all you adventurers, spontaneous types, or those who just can’t make up their minds, we’ve got the Programme Oracle back again this year, which will match you with an event from the day’s programme. You can start swiping from Monday, 4 May.

Programme Oracle

Full programme

Published from Sari Pamer on April 23, 2026.

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