Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival from Kemer

International Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival

Night falls, and the first notes rise over Aspendos

The festival takes place in September. The dates and programme for 2027 are due to be announced in early June 2027.

A festival night in the ancient theatre

At Aspendos Ancient Theatre, the stone tiers rise around the stage and draw the audience into the performance. As daylight fades, the set and performers come into focus. A musical phrase may hold the attention of the whole theatre, or a short pause may make the next movement feel sharper. Attending a performance gives you time to experience how the architecture frames a live production after dark.

Roman Emperor Neron was known for singing in public in the first century AD. Aspendos Ancient Theatre was built in the second century AD, during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, by Zenon, an architect from Aspendos.

Choose your performance

Each festival session has its own programme. In opera, the music and voices carry the story. In ballet, movement, staging and changes in the score guide your attention. Admission is for the performance you select. Once the programme is announced, compare the works, dates and start times to choose an evening that fits your plans. The published festival programme will provide the confirmed titles and performance times.

Seating in the stone theatre

The theatre has tiered stone seating. Your view, walking route and distance from the stage depend on the section and row. The standard ticket covers Category 2. Category 1 is available as a paid upgrade. The category gives access to its designated area, where seats are unnumbered and chosen from those available. If you are attending together, enter the seating area as a group to look for places side by side.

Planning your evening

Leave time to notice the shape of the theatre before the performance begins. As the lights come up, the stone backdrop becomes part of the scene. If this is your first opera or ballet, reading a short synopsis can help you follow the characters and recognise changes between scenes. A small cushion and a light layer can make a long evening on stone seating more comfortable.

Your booking from the Kemer area includes a Category 2 ticket for your chosen performance and return hotel transfers. Enter the full hotel name and check the booking instructions for the confirmed pickup point.

Before choosing a session, consider how you want the rest of the evening to fit around it. The start and finish times help you plan dinner, the journey to the theatre and the return to your accommodation. Each performance can have its own running time and interval arrangements.

From the Kemer coast to Aspendos

Staying in Tekirova, Çamyuva, Kiriş, central Kemer, Göynük or Beldibi? Your festival evening starts at your hotel’s confirmed pickup point. Along this stretch of coast, the pickup order depends on where you are staying. Meet the vehicle at the main security gate at the confirmed time. After the performance, take the return transfer to your hotel drop-off point in the Kemer area.

Possible works for 2027

The festival was first held in 1994. Past editions offer a starting point for imagining the 2027 repertoire. The works below are archive-based suggestions. The official 2027 programme will be announced in early June 2027.

• Opera: Turandot (1994, 2025), Aida (1995, 2013), Carmen (1997), Tosca (1997, 2025).
• Ballet: Swan Lake (2025), Don Quixote (1994, 1997, 2025), Zorba (2025).

To visit Aspendos by daylight, see the Perge, Aspendos, Side and Manavgat Waterfall day trip.