Bangkok’s International Festival of Dance and Music in September

This year the annual Bangkok’s International Festival of Dance and Music will run from September 7 till October 20, with a diverse programme featuring ballets, operas, orchestral concerts, and more. As in previous years, the shows – whether afternoon matinees or evening performances – all take place at the prestigious Thailand Cultural Centre.

(Hero image: ‘Marie-Antoinette’ by Malandain Ballet Biarritz; Featured image: Paul Taylor Dance Company)

A highly-anticipated event on the city’s cultural calendar, the annual Bangkok’s International Festival of Dance and Music is back again with a series of livey performances scheduled to take place on the main stage at the Thailand Cultural Centre. This year marks the 26th edition of this theatrically focused event, and the exceptional 2024 programme features ballets, operas, orchestral concerts, modern dance, and more.

The festival began in 1999 to commemorate the 6th cycle birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and from its inception up until 2004, HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana Krom Luang Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra was the Honorary Chairperson (after which, from 2004 until her demise, she was its Royal Patron). Then, in May of 2008, HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn took over as the Royal Patron.

Tickets for this year’s performances range in price from THB 2,000 to THB 8,000 (depending on the show) and bookings can be made via the official website: bangkokfestivals.com

SEPTEMBER 7
Bangkok’s 26th International Festival of Dance and Music kicks off in glamorous fashion with ‘Marie-Antoinette’, from neoclassical choreographer Thierry Malandain’s Malandain Ballet Biarritz. For history buffs, fashion-lovers, and those wooed by tragedy, this production has something for everyone. Juxtaposing politics and flirtation with the French Revolution, this stunning show does a beautiful deep-dive into the psychology behind one of the world’s most famously demonised queens. Here in Bangkok, the dancing will be accompanied by the orchestra of the Royal Opera House of Versailles. This performance is supported by the Embassy of France, and curtain time is 7pm.

SEPTEMBER 13-15
Over the course of three days, the world’s best-known ballet – Tchaikovsky’s ‘Swan Lake’ – will be performed by the oldest and most renowned ballet company, the Bolshoi Ballet of Russia, with choreography from Yuri Grigorovich. With its cast of 170 artists, this iconic ballet was actually commissioned by the Bolshoi and first performed in Moscow in 1877. It tells the tale of an enchanted swan, Odette, whose true love, her devoted prince Siegfried, is tricked into betraying her. This glorious theatrical spectacle is supported by the Embassy of Russia, and curtain times are 7pm on September 13 and 14, while Sunday September 15 is a family-friendly matinee performance, starting at 2:30pm.

SEPTEMBER 18
No festive season would be complete without ‘The Nutcracker’, a fairytale dreamscape populated by rat and mice kings, angelic snow fairies, and a glorious party in the colourful Land of Sweets. This time around, Tchaikovsky’s beloved holiday classic is being performed by the Tokyo City Ballet, which is making their Bangkok debut under the talented eye of artistic director Etsuko Adachi, a multi-award-winning former principal dancer. Curtain time is 7pm.

SEPTEMBER 21
Contemporary dance will soon see what the New York Times has called “one of the most exciting, innovative, and delightful dance companies in the entire world” when the acclaimed Paul Taylor Dance Company comes to town. The troupe will perform three pieces: the mesmerisingly bustling and athletic “Rush Hour”; the infectiously rhythmic “Somewhere in the Middle”, featuring a soundtrack by Duke Ellington, Count Basie and more jazz greats; and the inspirationally triumphant “Promethean Fire”. This perfomance is supported by the Embassy of the United States of America, and curtain time is 7pm.

SEPTEMBER 26-27
The title says it all when it comes to ‘Swan Lake On Ice’, a theatrical spectacle – performed here by the The Imperial Ice Stars – which earned the ‘Best Special Entertainment Award’ from the Manchester Evening News. It’s a dazzling dance piece, with 110 lavish costumes designed by renowned Russian costume designer Albina Gabueva, head designer at Moscow’s famed Stanislavsky Theatre, and made by the famous Bolshoi Ballet costume cutters. And if you weren’t already enticed by the exotic prospect of an elaborate ice skating spectacle in tropical Bangkok, consider that the performers will be gliding across 14 tonnes of ice (equivalent to the weight of three elephants). Both shows take place at 7pm.

SEPTEMBER 27-29
An action-packed delight for kids and adults alike, ‘Peter Pan on Ice’, based on JM Barrie’s beloved classic about the boy who wouldn’t grow up, astounds with breathtaking leaps, throws, spins, and daredevil aerial fighting, matched by original music and songs, state-of-the-art animated scenery, dazzling costumes and fire-on-ice. It’s another presentation by The Imperial Ice Stars, featuring choreography by the award-winning Tony Mercer and Olympic figure skating gold medalist Evgeny Platov. The Friday show and the Sunday show are both matinees, starting at 2:30pm, while the Saturday evening performance gets underway at 7pm.

Tickets & Program: bangkokfestivals.com