International arts festival returns to Bangkok with 12 major shows

Bangkok’s 28th International Festival of Dance & Music is set to return with a full programme of world-class performances throughout September and October 2026.

The line-up features 12 productions from nine countries, spanning opera, ballet, contemporary performance and multimedia shows, as the performing arts sector seeks to restore momentum in Thailand’s cultural market and among audiences.

This year’s festival will be held from September 5 to October 17, at the Main Hall of the Thailand Cultural Centre.

Organisers said it would be one of the festival’s most diverse editions in terms of format, content and participating countries.

One of the key highlights is the first appearance in Thailand by New York City Opera from the United States, with “Opera Goes to Hollywood”, which brings classic opera pieces and well-known film soundtracks together on one stage.

The performance reflects efforts within the opera world to broaden its audience base, particularly among younger generations.

Also featured is Coco Chanel from National Theatre Brno in the Czech Republic, which brings the life of “Coco Chanel”, one of the fashion world’s most influential designers, to the stage through contemporary ballet, combining fashion, music and the art of movement.

Helikon Opera from Russia will present fresh interpretations of the timeless operas La Traviata and Madama Butterfly through contemporary direction, with a live orchestra and a full line-up of international opera singers.

On the contemporary performance side, this year’s festival includes works that have gained popularity online and on international stages.

Among them is French choreographer Sadeck Berrabah’s Murmuration Level 2, known for group movement design that creates images resembling moving graphics and has gone viral on several platforms around the world.

Another performance drawing attention is RITE by Brazil’s Deborah Colker Dance Company, which reinterprets the classic composition The Rite of Spring through a contemporary movement language focused on power, emotion and social issues.

Classical ballet remains a core part of the festival, with the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus bringing Romeo & Juliet and Cinderella to Bangkok, accompanied by large-scale productions and the distinctive dance techniques of an Eastern European ballet company.

Meanwhile, Alice in Wonderland is presented as a fantasy combining contemporary dance, acrobatics and circus, reflecting a trend among modern stage productions to connect multiple art forms in an effort to appeal to broader audiences.

Another highlight this year is the use of characters and pop culture through the performing arts, including The Great Gatsby, which takes audiences back to the Jazz Age in the United States through live music, dance and an atmosphere reflecting a world of wealth and ambition in the era of the American Dream.

Eifman Ballet from Russia will also present The Pygmalion Effect and Russian Hamlet, works noted for psychological and political storytelling through the intense choreographic style of Boris Eifman, one of the internationally recognised contemporary choreographers.

The return of the festival this year reflects efforts by the performing arts industry to bring audiences back into theatres amid competition from digital platforms and changing consumer behaviour.

Organisers hope that bringing together shows from a range of genres and countries will help broaden the audience base for performing arts in Thailand.