Festival International de Hammamet opens its 60th edition on 11 July with 32 shows and artists from 12 countries

The Festival International de Hammamet (FIH) unveiled its full 60th-edition programme at a press conference held on Thursday 3 July at the Centre Culturel International de Hammamet (CCIH), with director Najib Kasraoui presenting 34 evenings of music, theatre and dance across 32 shows featuring artists from 12 countries.

The anniversary edition runs from 11 July to 13 August 2026 under the slogan "Endless Memories", with artists travelling from Tunisia, Lebanon, Palestine, the United States, Mali, Spain, Portugal, Cuba, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria and Italy.

Kasraoui described the festival as a national cultural asset built across generations, and said the "Endless Memories" theme points not only to the past but to the future — a living memory that renews itself with every edition.

The numbers

The programme breaks down into four theatre productions, one choreographic creation and 27 concerts. Tunisian works account for 14 of the 32 shows — 43.8 percent of the total — while Arab productions represent 34.4 percent and international ones 21.9 percent.

At the press conference Kasraoui paid tribute to the Tunisian woman, noting that both the opening and closing nights of this edition are in female hands.

Opening and closing

The edition opens with Les Fugueuses by Wafa Taboubi — a production that won the Grand Prix at the 16th Arab Theatre Festival in January 2026. The same production previously took the Tanit d'Or, the top prize at the 26th Journées de Carthage du Théâtre.

Sofia Sadok will close the festival on 13 August, which also marks Tunisia's Journée nationale de la Femme.

International highlights

Among the international highlights are Dhafer Youssef presenting his new album Shiraz, Palestinian pianist Faraj Suleiman, Marcel Khalifé, Portuguese fado singer Mariza, Malian legend Salif Keïta, Italian artist Mario Biondi, Spanish singer Bebe, Cuban ensemble The Buena Vista Orchestra, American bluesman Big Daddy Wilson, Algerian group Gnawa Diffusion, Turkish band Dedublüman and Moroccan singer Najat Aâtabou.

Lebanon holds a prominent place in the lineup, with Yasmine Hamdan, Yara, Joseph Attieh, Ghassan Yammine, Melhem Zein, Cindy Latty and Adam among the performers.

The joint Tunisian-Moroccan creation Aïta Mon Amour, led by Khalil Epi and Widad Mjama, will celebrate the popular Moroccan musical form of the Aïta.

Tunisian scene

The theatre strand includes Jacaranda (text by Abdelhalim Messaoudi, directed by Nizar Saidi), Testostérone by Cyrine Gannoun and Le Jardin des amants by Moez Achouri. The choreographic work Labess by Selim Ben Safia comes with a scenographic installation by Nadia Kaabi-Linke. The Tunisian musical programme features Nour and Selim Arjoun, Outail Maaoui with Sada d'Atlas, Mehdi Mouelhi with Nostaljica and Bouthaina Nabouli with Doulicha.

Nordo and Chokri Bouzayen will perform on the evening of 25 July to mark the Fête de la République.

Tickets

Tickets are sold exclusively through the festival's official website. Demand has been strong despite high prices for some shows, with several performances selling out online within hours of going on sale.

Kasraoui warned the public against purchasing tickets through unofficial channels, saying anyone involved in buying or selling tickets outside the official circuit faces legal proceedings under current legislation.

The full programme and tickets are available at festivaldehammamet.com.