What to do · Mérida
Mérida International Classical Theatre Festival
Information
- Duration
- 2 h 30
- Season
- July and August
- Who it's for
- Adults and teenagers
Every summer, the Roman theatre of Mérida goes back to doing what it was built for. The International Classical Theatre Festival programmes tragedies, comedies and shows inspired by the Greco-Roman world, at night, with the audience seated on the stone tiers and the Roman stage behind. It is the most different way of experiencing the monument.
What an edition is like
The 2026 one was the 72nd edition, from 3 July to 30 August, with the motto "Classics of the past, emotions of the present". According to the Junta de Extremadura, it brought together more than 150 performances between Mérida and its offshoots. At the Roman Theatre nine productions premiered, from Spartacus, which opened the festival, to Electra Jonda, Timon of Athens, The Comedy of the Pot, Phaedra in Hell, Oedipus's Journey or the musical The 9 Muses, which closed it. In 2026 each production ran several nights in a row, almost always Wednesday to Sunday.
The festival does not stay on the Roman stage. The María Luisa Theatre, in the centre, hosts smaller performances, and there are offshoots at the sites of Medellín, Regina and Cáparra, as well as a season in Madrid. Film cycles, workshops, exhibitions, parades and the lectures of the Encounter with the Classics, at the National Museum of Roman Art, complete the programme. It is organised by the Festival Board Consortium, and its director is Jesús Cimarro.
Dates and tickets
It is held in July and August. Each year's programme is presented in spring: the 2026 one was announced on 18 March. Tickets are bought on the festival website, festivaldemerida.es, which sells through Entradas.com and has a group service. Prices change depending on the play and the area of the stands, and we do not fix them here: check them on each performance's page. For questions, the office is at Calle Santa Julia 5 and its phone number is 924 009 480.
Tips for the night
Bring a cushion: the stands are stone and performances last two hours or more. Arrive in good time to get in without rushing and find your seat. Premieres and weekends fill up first.
By day the theatre remains open to visits, with the set in place: you see it on the visit to the theatre and amphitheatre, on the Consortium's joint ticket. If you want to understand the context before the performance, the National Museum of Roman Art is right opposite.
Getting there and where to sleep
The theatre is inside the city, about 800 m from the train station, and Mérida has a train station and a bus station. In July and August accommodation is in great demand: book early at the Parador de Mérida, the Ilunion Mérida Palace or the Hotel Nova Roma.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Mérida Classical Theatre Festival?
In July and August, in the evenings. In 2026 it was from 3 July to 30 August; the programme comes out in spring.
Can you visit the theatre during the festival?
Yes, by day, with the set in place.
Where do you buy tickets?
On the official festival website, which sells through Entradas.com.
With teenagers
