Two visionary Swedish creators unite to present a powerful performance deeply rooted in their cultural heritage. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is more than a visually stunning dance spectacle—it stands as their signature masterpiece and marks the Hong Kong debut of their full-length dance production.

A fever dream of startling splendour—dive into the surreal, electrifying world of Alexander Ekman

A sleeping man is woken by an alarm, only to be dragged into solstice festivities by a large group of dancers, followed by a series of bizarre, dreamlike scenes...

In Sweden, where winters are long and dark, the summer solstice at the end of June—the longest day of the year—has been celebrated as a festival since ancient times. Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman borrows the title of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to revisit these traditions, creating his own bold interpretation of the Nordic midsummer night.

There are no Shakespearen fairies or magic potions. What Ekman envisions is a visually striking, high-energy gala that celebrates, smashes and subverts the traditional Midsummer rituals. He transforms the stage into a stunning golden wheat field covered by giant bales of hay. Dancers fling the hay and straw around in an athletic frenzy, heightening the joyous, festive spirit. Wearing garlands of flowers, revellers dance around the maypole, enjoy a drunken feast and slip into a steamy, surreal world where you can no longer tell dream from reality.

Ballett Dortmund, one of Germany’s most innovative dance companies, delivers stellar performances of this work across international stages including the Salzburg Festival. Its passionate dancers are accompanied by musicians of the Dortmunder Philharmoniker, which plays the Scandinavian folklore-inspired scores. Famous Swedish singer composer Anna von Hausswolff wanders on the stage like a narrator, and lends her ethereal voice and soul to the performance. Together, the artists fully immerse themselves—and the audience—in the surreal world conjured up by Ekman.