Festival International de Symphonie d'El Jem: Camerata de Barcelona plays 'Colores de España'
The 39th International Festival of Symphonic Music brings the Camerata de Barcelona to El Jem's Roman amphitheatre on Saturday 18 July for an evening of Spanish classical music under open skies.
What it is. One night of the 39th Festival International de Musique Symphonique d'El Jem, a concert titled Colores de España performed by the Camerata de Barcelona. The 2026 edition brings together musicians from five countries — Tunisia, Austria, France, Italy and Spain — across a season of ten concerts.
Where. The festival is held in the Roman amphitheatre of El Jem, one of the best-preserved in the world. The UNESCO World Heritage site could originally seat 35,000 spectators. El Jem is in Mahdia Governorate, roughly an hour from Sousse and well under three hours from Tunis by road or on the main rail line.
When. Saturday 18 July 2026. The concert starts at 22:00. The full 2026 season runs from 11 July to 22 August.
Tickets. 37.5 TND, available via teskerti.tn. Physical points of sale include the Tunis Gare de Barcelone tobacco kiosk, ONTT Sidi Bou Jaafar in Sousse, and the tourist office in Mahdia. A return coach from outside the Ministry of Tourism in Tunis runs for 30 TND; places are confirmed once 60 percent capacity is reached — contact Adel on 55 179 558 to reserve.
Each July and August, full orchestras fill El Jem's third-century Roman amphitheatre. There is a particular hush that falls over El Jem on a summer night just before the music starts, with several thousand people seated on stone tiers raised eighteen centuries ago and floodlights catching the great ochre arches against a darkening sky. Tickets for marquee performances sell quickly; book ahead and arrive early to explore the monument in daylight before the music begins.