Photo:
Souheil Michael Khoury / Courtesy of Bangkok’s International Festival of Dance & Music
Evgeny Matveev / Courtesy of Bangkok’s International Festival of Dance & Music

Bangkok’s International Festival of Dance & Music is one of those rare cultural institutions that has grown old without becoming old-fashioned.

Launched in 1999, the festival is now in its 28th edition. Its classical programme retains a sense of scale, with major opera productions, leading ballet companies and works conceived for a full theatre setting. At the same time, the contemporary programme looks outward, bringing to Bangkok artists and productions shaping today’s international dance and performance scene.

This year, 12 productions from nine countries run from 5 September to 17 October at the Thailand Cultural Centre. New York City Opera opened the festival on 5 September; ballet, opera, contemporary dance and theatrical spectacle now take over the stage for another six weeks.

 

Programme 2026

5 Sep – New York City Opera: Opera Goes to Hollywood
9, 10 Sep – Romeo & Juliet, Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus
12, 13 Sep – Cinderella, Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus
17 Sep – RITE, Deborah Colker Dance Company
19 Sep – Murmuration Level 2, Sadeck Berrabah
26, 27 Sep – Alice in Wonderland, Wings Show Production
29 Sep – The Great Gatsby, Enrique Gasa Valga Dance Company
5 Oct – Coco Chanel, National Theatre Brno
8 Oct – La Traviata, Helikon Opera
10 Oct – Madama Butterfly, Helikon Opera
15 Oct – The Pygmalion Effect, Eifman Ballet
17 Oct – Russian Hamlet, Eifman Ballet

The contrast is exactly what makes the festival special. One night can mean Verdi or classical ballet; another, Sadeck Berrabah’s viral geometric choreography, Deborah Colker’s reworking of The Rite of Spring or contemporary ballet built around Coco Chanel.

For Bangkok, it is more than an established cultural fixture. It is a place where the canon and what is happening right now still share the same stage.

All performances take place at the Thailand Cultural Centre, Ratchadaphisek Road, Huai Khwang, easily reached via MRT Thailand Cultural Centre. Tickets are available through ThaiTicketMajor, with prices varying by production and seating category. The full programme, performance details and festival updates are available on the Bangkok International Festival of Dance & Music official website: bangkokfestivals.com.