Secrets of Spain's oldest theatre festival
As every summer, a new edition of the Mérida Classical Theatre Festival begins. Did you know that this festival is highly acclaimed? So much so that it is considered the most relevant theatre festival of its kind and also the oldest known in Spain: this year it is celebrating its 68th edition.
Year after year, the festival is more and more popular, not only among the locals and tourists who come from all over the country to enjoy this cultural experience, but also among the actors who perform the plays themselves, for whom the possibility of performing in such an important festival and in such a unique setting as the Roman Theatre is an enrichment of their professional careers.
Discover the Festival
The Mérida Classical Theatre Festival takes place annually between July and August, and features great theatrical classics and adaptations of plays in which the main protagonist is the Roman theatre of Mérida, built between 16 and 15 BC.
Visiting the Roman theatre in Mérida is always a luxury, but doing so during any of the shows that take place there is a unique experience that you cannot miss to see how centuries of history come to life in one of the best preserved Roman theatres in the country.
In addition to the Roman theatre of Mérida, you can also enjoy small theatrical performances in other outstanding places in the city such as the Temple of Diana, and this year, as a novelty, the recently refurbished Maria Luisa theatre has been incorporated into the festival.
But, Did you know that this festival is not only celebrated in the city of Mérida? The festival has other venues in different Roman monuments of great value, such as the theatre of Medellín, the theatre of Regina or the site of Cáparra.
These Roman monuments incorporated theatrical works from the festival just a few years ago, thus being able to resume the function for which they were built and also being places with a lot of history that lend themselves to tourism.
What you can see this year
At the Classical Theatre Festival, not only can you see great classical plays, but you can also enjoy adaptations of works by authors such as Shakespeare or Plautus, with striking scripts that capture the audience's attention.
From tragedies, comedies, musicals, ballet, dance, modern versions of classics to stage poems, you will find performances to suit all tastes.
If you are interested in attending any of the performances this year but don't know which one to choose, we recommend two of the most successful plays for this year's edition: Miles Gloriosus and Aroma de Roma, both comedies that tend to work very well with all kinds of audiences, and which also feature renowned actors from the Spanish audiovisual scene.
On the other hand, if you like history and culture, this festival has the perfect mix to make a different and unique plan that will surely not leave you indifferent.
To enjoy a cultural experience of the highest order, put yourself in contact with usTake advantage now of our theatre promotions and experience the Roman theatre in first person. Are you going to miss it?
Also, don't forget that Mérida has a multitude of Roman monuments that you can't miss on your visit to the festival, so if you want to explore the city at your own pace, you have available our travel guide to Mérida with key places to visit, recommendations on accommodation and restaurants, plans in the surrounding areas and many more tips.
