Following consultations with members of the international ballet community, participating institutions, artistic partners and members of the Jury, the Organising Committee of the Portorož-Portorose International Ballet Competition has decided to postpone the inaugural edition of the competition to 2027.

This decision has been made after careful consideration and reflects our commitment to presenting a competition that fully meets the artistic, organisational and international standards envisioned from the very beginning of the project.

Since its conception, the Portorož-Portorose International Ballet Competition has been designed as a truly international platform for young dancers, bringing together outstanding talent, distinguished jury members, ballet schools, academies and professional institutions from around the world. In order to achieve the scale, international reach and artistic excellence originally planned for the inaugural edition, the Organising Committee believes that additional preparation time will provide the strongest possible foundation for the long-term success of the competition.

As a newly established international competition, the 2026 edition did not benefit from a full international promotion cycle. Many ballet schools, academies and institutions had already finalised their artistic calendars, competition schedules and international activities before becoming aware of the event. Additional preparation time will allow participating institutions to incorporate the competition into their long-term planning and will contribute to broader international participation.

Over the coming months, we will continue to expand our international partnerships, strengthen cooperation with ballet institutions worldwide and further develop the artistic and professional opportunities offered to future participants.

The competition remains a central long-term project, and we are fully committed to establishing an exceptional inaugural edition that will become an important meeting point for young dancers and ballet professionals from across the international ballet community.

We sincerely thank all applicants, jury members, artistic partners, supporters and institutions for their trust, encouragement and understanding. We look forward to welcoming you to Portorož-Portorose in 2027 and to launching the competition in a manner that reflects the highest standards of excellence, professionalism and artistic achievement.

The new competition dates and further information regarding the 2027 edition will be announced in due course.

Organising Committee

Portorož-Portorose International Ballet Competition