Verdensballett Open Air Keitum

Ballet on a Sylt Meadow

Keitum, the idyllic home village in the east of the North Sea island of Sylt, has been the unlikely venue for an international classical event for years. An open-air stage is erected once a year on the grounds of the historic Benen-Diken-Hof — and against the backdrop of North Frisian dunes and thatched Frisian houses, top ballerinas and dancers from all over the world perform. The venue is located in the municipality of Sylt in the district of Nordfriesland in the state of Schleswig-Holstein.

Two Ensembles, One Evening

The Verdensballett combines two special ensembles:

• Bundesjugendballett (Hamburg) — eight young professional dancers, a support project of Ernst Deutsch Theater and Hamburg State Opera, supported by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media and the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg
• International soloists of the Danish Verdensballett ensemble — top dancers from world-renowned houses such as the Royal Ballet London (in the past, among others, Steven McRae as Principal)

The Program

In front of around 1,100 spectators, the evening offers a sophisticated program:

• Classical ballet (repertoire classics, pas de deux)
• Modern and contemporary ballet
• Opera scenes and arias (live singing)
• Violin solos and chamber music

The Bundesjugendballett typically opens the evening with a grand choreography, followed by the international soloists taking over the main part of the program.

A Unique Event in the Classical Calendar

With its 9th edition in 2026, the Verdensballett has become a firm fixture in Sylt's summer cultural landscape. Unlike the major classical festivals of the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival or the Eutin Festival, the Verdensballett offers a single concert per year — and it is precisely this rarity, combined with the unique setting, that creates its appeal.