CIR Lifestyle
Cambodia is positioning itself as a rising cultural destination with the launch of the Phnom Penh International Opera Festival, backed by a three-year partnership between All Dreams Cambodia, N&A Cambodia, and NagaWorld. The agreement secures the 2,000-seat NABA Theatre at NagaWorld 2 as the festival’s home through 2028 and sets out a long-term plan to attract regional audiences, tourism revenue, and investment into the performing arts sector.
The festival will debut on December 12 and 14 with Mozart’s Don Giovanni, the first of three headline productions scheduled across the coming years. Under the artistic direction of Prince Sisowath Ravivaddhana Monipong and Italian director Vincenzo Grisostomi Travaglini, the festival will stage La Bohème in 2026 during the XXth Francophonie Summit and La Traviata in 2027.
Multi-Year Partnership to Strengthen Cultural Infrastructure
The partnership model combines production support, hospitality services, and revenue sharing — a structure designed to establish financial sustainability and long-term growth for Cambodia’s opera sector while developing local talent and production capabilities.
The 2025 staging of Don Giovanni is set to become the world’s first carbon-neutral opera production. As a signatory to the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, the festival has committed to measuring, reporting, reducing, and fully offsetting the carbon footprint of the entire event, including emissions from performers, crew, logistics, and the complete travel and accommodation footprint of the audience. Production Director Jacques Guichandut described the approach as a new benchmark for the global opera industry, demonstrating how large-scale performances can integrate environmental responsibility.
More than 100 performers and technicians from Cambodia and abroad will take part, including an international cast, a 40-member symphony orchestra featuring musicians from the Angkor Youth Orchestra Association, and circus and dance performers from Phare Ponleu Selpak.
Global First in Sustainable Performing Arts
Festival organisers emphasise that the initiative supports Cambodia’s cultural diplomacy goals by drawing international visitors and enhancing the country’s standing as a platform for world-class performing arts. Airline partnerships, international media engagement, and influencer outreach are being structured to position Phnom Penh as a cultural stop on regional travel itineraries.
If successful, the festival could become a permanent anchor on Cambodia’s cultural and tourism calendar, increasing international visibility while contributing to the long-term growth of the country’s performing arts ecosystem. The Phnom Penh International Opera Festival opens next month at NagaWorld 2.
Ticketing Information:
Don Giovanni performances: December 12 & 14, 2025 NABA Theatre, NagaWorld, Phnom Penh
Tickets available through https://www.phnompenhopera.com
