Hammamet International Festival marks its 60th edition with 32 shows and artists from 12 countries

The Festival International de Hammamet (FIH) opens its 60th edition on Saturday 11 July 2026 and runs until Thursday 13 August, bringing 32 shows and artists from 12 countries to the open-air amphitheatre at the Centre Culturel International de Hammamet.

The anniversary edition carries the slogan "Endless Memories" and spans music, theatre and contemporary dance. Tickets go on sale online on Sunday 28 June, with prices ranging from 25 to 100 Tunisian dinars depending on the event, the official festival website shows.

Opening week

The festival opens on 11 July with Les Fugueuses, a theatre production by Tunisian director Wafa Taboubi. Tunisian oud player and composer Dhafer Youssef follows on 12 July, presenting his album project Shiraz, before Lebanese singer Yasmine Hamdan takes the stage on 13 July.

On 14 July, Tunisian choreographer Mehdi Mouelhi presents Nostaljica, featuring performers Rana Zarrouk, Haytham Helal, Mehdi Allani and Lassaad Sendy. Spanish singer-songwriter Bebe performs on 15 July.

International line-up through July

Algerian world-music veterans Gnawa Diffusion perform on 20 July, followed by American bluesman Big Daddy Wilson on 21 July. Palestinian pianist Faraj Suleiman appears on 23 July, and Lebanese-Palestinian singer and composer Marcel Khalife on 24 July.

Tunisian playwright Selim Ben Safia presents Labess, with a stage installation by artist Nadia Kaabi-Linke, on 19 July. Cuban ensemble The Buena Vista Orchestra rounds out the month on 28 July.

The festival also brings a rich Lebanese contingent, including singers Yara, Joseph Attieh, Melhem Zein, Cindy Latty and Adam, as well as pianist Ghassan Yammine, with dates to be confirmed in the full programme.

August: world music and Tunisian theatre

Malian singer Salif Keïta performs on 31 July. Portuguese fado artist Mariza follows on 1 August, and Italian vocalist Mario Biondi on 2 August. Moroccan chaabi pioneer Najat Aâtabou and Turkish rock group Dedublüman are also programmed, with dates to be announced.

Tunisian theatre productions anchor the final stretch of the festival: Jacaranda on 5 August, Testostérone on 10 August and Le Jardin des amants on 12 August. Tunisian singer Sofia Sadok closes the festival on 13 August.

The venue and the 60-year story

The festival has been held at the Centre Culturel International de Hammamet, also known as Dar Sébastien, since 1964. The centre occupies a nine-hectare estate on Avenue des Nations Unies originally built by Romanian-born patron George Sebastian in the 1920s and acquired by the Tunisian state in 1962.

Its open-air theatre, designed in a neo-classical style, is said to be the only stage in the world combining Elizabethan, Roman and Greek elements, with a revolving stage that faces the sea. The estate is a listed heritage site.

The full programme and tickets are available at festivaldehammamet.com. Shows begin at 22:00.