Between July 4 and August 30, 2025, Mérida will host a new edition of the International Classical Theater Festival, which this year reaches its 71st edition, once again with Jesús Cimarro at the helm of management and direction through the company Pentación Espectáculos.
As in the 13 previous editions, Mérida will become a stage city where every corner will breathe theater, starting with its most emblematic space, the Roman Theater of Mérida, where 10 shows can be enjoyed, 7 of which will be world premieres. Likewise, the extensions will be repeated at the María Luisa Theater in Mérida, where 7 shows can be enjoyed, as well as in Madrid, which extends its duration this year, Medellín, and Regina.
On this occasion, the Festival will open with Numancia, a production by the Community of Madrid for Teatros del Canal, which will bring more than 30 actors to the Roman Theatre from July 4th to 6th. Alejandro y el eunuco persa, directed by Pedro A. Penco, will perform at the Roman Theatre from July 9th to 13th.
The following week will be one of the most international of this year’s event, as, through an agreement signed with the Ostia Festival (Italy), Ifigenia, a successful Extremadura production from 2024, will return to the Roman Theatre on July 15th and 16th before traveling to Rome for its performance at the festival. This collaboration will also allow Édipo Rei, a production by the Fondazione Teatro di Roma, to be presented in Mérida on July 18th and 19th.
Between July 23rd and 27th, it will be the turn of the musical Cleopatra enamorada, el musical, starring Natalia Millán and Alex O’Dogherty, while between July 30th and August 3rd, Electra, written by Eduardo Galán, directed by Lautaro Perotti, and starring María León, will arrive.
The August program continues with Memorias of Adriano, a co-production between the Festival and Teatre Romea based on the play by Marguerite Yourcenar, starring Lluís Homar, which can be seen between August 6th and 10th.
Between the 13th and 17th of the same month, Las Troyanas, directed by Carlota Ferrer and starring Isabel Ordaz, will arrive, while between the 20th and 24th, Terence’s Los hermanos, the play that will be performed at the Teatro Romano, starring Pepón Nieto and Eva Isanta.
The Festival will close with Jason y las furias from August 27th to 31st, by the Extremadura company Teatro del Noctámbulo, led by José Vicente Moirón.
The María Luisa Theater will host a total of seven plays this year: Tebanas, on July 5th, a production by Ay Teatro adapted by Álvaro Tato and directed by Yayo Cáceres, while on July 12th, Reactor Antígona, a dance performance by the Dominican company Marianela Boán Danza, will premiere.
On July 19th, it will be the turn of Ulises, a monologue by Antonio Campos, while on the 20th, we can enjoy Échale la culpa a Pandora, starring Antonia San Juan, among others. On July 26th, the Portuguese production Prometeu Agrilhoado premiered, and on August 1st, the Portuguese production Agripina la Menor, starring Nuria Cuadrado. The María Luisa Orestiada, directed by Ernesto Caballero, will close the program.
The official extensions of the Mérida International Theater Festival, which expands its program this year, will also be present in Madrid, Medellín, and Regina, which will once again bring audiences shows that triumphed at the previous edition of the Festival, such as Ifigenia, La Aparición, Coriolano, Iconos o la exploración del destino, Casandra, and Lysistrata Montoya. In addition to Las bingueras de Euripides and Republica de Roma, which were seen at the 2023 edition of the Festival and will be at this year’s Madrid edition.
Likewise, and supported by ONCE, the show El Gorgojo will be coming to the Regina extension.
As in previous editions, the Festival will offer a number of parallel activities such as courses, exhibitions, workshops, children’s and family activities, conferences, and meetings. Examples of these will be our parade, which this year will feature up to four different artistic offerings that can be enjoyed in the streets of Mérida, Plasencia, and Medellín, as well as Héroes y Heroínas, a storytelling show designed for the whole family.
Once again, the Mérida Festival will cross our borders with a series of presentations in different cities around the world: Osaka on May 22th, as part of the Universal Exposition being held in the Japanese city this year; Rome on June 4th; and Lisbon on June 16th.
In addition, the Festival will once again be accessible, with audio-described, subtitled, loop-enabled, and headphone-amplified performances at the Roman Theater and its other venues.
In short, for yet another year, we invite all theater lovers to come to Mérida, a city that lives and breathes theater for two months.