Top 10 Summer Theaters
Catch the season's best shows, from musical premieres to world-class Shakespeare productions.
From the National Geographic book Four Seasons of Travel
Stratford Festival, Stratford, Ontario, Canada
www.stratfordfestival.ca
The largest classical repertory theater in North America stages productions on a thrust stage where the finest Shakespearean actors perform the bard’s great comedies and tragedies. Open April to October.
New York Musical Theatre Festival, New York, New York
www.nymf.org/
Each July, dozens of original musicals premiere at this festival, held in the heart of New York City’s theater district. Many of the event’s new musicals go on to successful Broadway or off-Broadway runs, including the Tony Award–winning Next to Normal.
Festival Internacional de Teatro, Caracas, Venezuela
fitcaracas.blogspot.com (use your translator)
America has brought together scores of performance companies from around the world to act in Venezuela’s capital. Performers take to the streets, plazas, and theater venues throughout the city for two weeks each April to stage classics such as Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, and Dante’s Inferno.
Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland
www.eif.co.uk
Founded soon after the end of World War II, Edinburgh’s annual August fest ranks as one of the leading arts celebrations in the world. Theater productions range from Electra to a modern-day retelling of Macbeth. Visit the festival headquarters in the Hub, an iconic city landmark whose spire dominates the Royal Mile between Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace.
Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park, London, England
openairtheatre.org
Vivien Leigh and Judi Dench both trod the boards of this London landmark, the oldest permanent outdoor theater in Britain. More than 130,000 spectators attend each season’s four productions between May and September. Bring a hamper and sip Pimm’s on the picnic lawn while enjoying the theater’s signature piece, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Festival d’Avignon, Avignon, France
www.festival-avignon.com/en/
At least one new show opens every night at this festival in the south of France. Every July, Avignon becomes a “city-theater,” with 20-odd historical venues transformed into performance spaces. The heart is the Cour d’Honneur, the main courtyard of the Pope’s Palace, where spectators gather for performances during the Provençal summer nights.
Zürcher Theater Spektakel, Zurich, Switzerland
www.theaterspektakel.ch
Dozens of independent theater companies put on cutting-edge productions each August in one of Europe’s most important contemporary performing arts festivals. Performances take place in the parklike Landiwiese on Lake Zurich, where venues include an open-air stage and a shipyard for creative staging possibilities.
National Arts Festival, Grahamstown, South Africa
www.nationalartsfestival.co.za
Bundle up for performances at Africa’s largest cultural event, held in June and July in South Africa’s eastern Cape region. The children’s arts festival offers drama workshops for kids ages 4–13, while street theater productions carry the festival spirit throughout the city.
Iida Puppet Festa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan
www.city.iida.lg.jp/puppet
Known as the “city of puppet shows,” Iida, located between Tokyo and Nagoya, hosts the largest puppetry festival in Japan every August. Some 150 troupes perform shows ranging from traditional Bunraku puppetry to modern acts in dozens of sites throughout the city, from Puppetry Hall to the grounds of parks and shrines.
Perth International Arts Festival, Perth, Australia
www.perthfestival.com.au
Each year, Perth celebrates the oldest annual, international, multiarts festival in the Southern Hemisphere. Founded in 1953, the three-week-long celebration includes the National Play Festival, which showcases new plays written and performed by Australia’s finest theater artists. Venues include His Majesty’s Theatre, the only working Edwardian theater in Australia.
You May Also Like
Go Further
Animals
- These 'trash fish' are among Earth's most primitive animalsThese 'trash fish' are among Earth's most primitive animals
- These photos are works of art—and the artists are bugsThese photos are works of art—and the artists are bugs
- The epic migration of a 6-foot long, 200-pound catfishThe epic migration of a 6-foot long, 200-pound catfish
- Frans de Waal, biologist who studied animal emotion, dies at 75Frans de Waal, biologist who studied animal emotion, dies at 75
Environment
- Are synthetic diamonds really better for the planet? The answer isn't clear-cut.Are synthetic diamonds really better for the planet? The answer isn't clear-cut.
- This year's cherry blossom peak bloom was a warning signThis year's cherry blossom peak bloom was a warning sign
- The U.S. just announced an asbestos ban. What took so long?The U.S. just announced an asbestos ban. What took so long?
- The most dangerous job? Inside the world of underwater weldersThe most dangerous job? Inside the world of underwater welders
- The harrowing flight that wild whooping cranes make to surviveThe harrowing flight that wild whooping cranes make to survive
History & Culture
- Meet the powerful yokai that inspired the demon king in ‘Demon Slayer’Meet the powerful yokai that inspired the demon king in ‘Demon Slayer’
- A surprising must-wear for European monarchs? Weasels.A surprising must-wear for European monarchs? Weasels.
- Meet the woman who made Polaroid into a cultural iconMeet the woman who made Polaroid into a cultural icon
- Inside the observatory that birthed modern astrophysicsInside the observatory that birthed modern astrophysics
- See how Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr around the worldSee how Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr around the world
Science
- NASA smashed an asteroid with a rocket. The debris could hit Mars.NASA smashed an asteroid with a rocket. The debris could hit Mars.
- Humans really can have superpowers—scientists are studying themHumans really can have superpowers—scientists are studying them
- Why engineers are concerned about aging infrastructureWhy engineers are concerned about aging infrastructure
- The benefits of eating the peels on your fruits and veggiesThe benefits of eating the peels on your fruits and veggies
- The island of Santorini is hiding an explosive secretThe island of Santorini is hiding an explosive secret
Travel
- Play and stay in the mountains of eastern Nevada
- Paid Content
Play and stay in the mountains of eastern Nevada - This couple quit the city to grow wasabi in Japan's mountainsThis couple quit the city to grow wasabi in Japan's mountains