Fire of Anatolia tickets at Aspendos

Where the show is in 2026: inside the ancient theatre

This year the company's Antalya nights are inside the Roman theatre of Aspendos itself, not in a modern arena. The theatre was built by the architect Zenon between AD 138 and 164, and Turkey's Ministry of Culture calls it one of the best-preserved Roman theatres in the world. That's a change worth knowing about. From 2008, when restoration plans halted shows in the theatre, the company danced at the Aspendos Arena, a stage it built on rented land nearby. Some Viator listings still use the arena's name, Gloria Aspendos Arena. For the venue, go by the company's tour page, which names the ancient theatre for its October dates.

The dates left this season

The coastal season is almost over. The company's own tour page lists two more Fire of Anatolia nights at the Aspendos Ancient Theatre: Tuesday 13 October and Tuesday 20 October 2026. Ticket sellers give a 21:00 start. One Turkish ticket site also lists Tuesday 27 October, so check the Viator calendar for that date before you count on it. After 20 October the tour page sends the company to Moscow and other Russian cities, with Turkish dates in Konya, Bursa and Istanbul later in the year. In earlier seasons it announced its Antalya run as April to October, so expect it back in spring.

Read next: Where Else Fire of Anatolia Performs Around the World

Fire of Anatolia or Troy?

The same company tours a second production, Troy, inspired by Homer's Iliad. This summer Troy was also scheduled at the Aspendos Ancient Theatre. The two shows share a director and a venue, but they aren't the same evening. The dates on the tour page for 13 and 20 October are both Fire of Anatolia. One Viator option has both shows in its title, so read the option name and the show listed for your date before you pay.

What the Viator ticket includes

Most of the Aspendos options on Viator are run by the operator Tourmania. Each one includes your entrance ticket to the show. Hotel pickup and drop-off, and dinner, are included only if you pick an option that has them. Pickup is from your hotel's security gate. Drinks and gratuities aren't included with the dinner option, and souvenir photos and a DVD are sold separately. Every option checked can be cancelled for a full refund up to 24 hours before it starts. Several also let you reserve now and pay later.

• Show only: entrance ticket, 21:00 start, you make your own way
• Show + transfer: entrance ticket and return hotel pickup
• Show, dinner, transfer: adds a pre-show meal; drinks cost extra
• Alanya option: run by Cankat Tourism, with a VIP seating choice

Pickup times by resort

Start times depend on where you're staying. On the next show date, the Antalya transfer option left at 19:00, and the Belek option at 20:00. The Kemer dinner package started at 17:00. The Alanya package started at 17:30 and stopped for a one-hour riverside dinner before the show. Side runs as a seven-hour evening. The Alanya operator contacts guests before the day to confirm the hotel and the exact pickup time. So keep your phone on the day before.

• Belek: pickup around 20:00, about three hours in all
• Antalya: pickup around 19:00, about five hours
• Side: about seven hours
• Kemer and Alanya: pickup from 17:00, with dinner, six to seven hours

Booking direct, or driving yourself

You don't have to take a package. Turkish ticket sites such as Bubilet and iTicket sell show-only seats in VIP and standard categories, with separate prices for Turkish citizens and foreign guests. Citizen-price tickets need a Turkish ID at the gate, so as a visitor you buy the foreign-guest category. The catch is transport. There's no direct public transport to Aspendos, so you need a car or a taxi. The ruins sit in Belkıs, in the Serik district, and the drive from central Antalya takes about 45 minutes, traffic allowing. The Viator show-only option is the same idea, booked in your own currency.

Seats, rules and the night itself

Seats aren't numbered. You sit anywhere inside your ticket's category, so arriving early gets you a better spot. The VIP option on the Alanya package seats you nearest the stage. Cameras, video equipment, and outside food and drink aren't allowed in. The Alanya operator says there's an identity check at the entrance, so carry ID. The show runs about an hour and 45 minutes, including an interval. The theatre is open to the sky, and evenings can turn cool, so bring a light layer. The old seating tiers are hard, and a folded jacket makes a decent cushion.

What you'll see on stage

Fire of Anatolia mixes hundreds of folk dance figures from different regions of Turkey with ballet and modern dance. The company has 120 dancers and holds two Guinness records: the fastest dance performance, at 241 steps a minute, and the largest audience, 400,000 people standing in Ereğli on the Black Sea. It first performed on 3 May 2001, after 90 dancers were picked from 750 applicants. It's told through dance and music, so you don't need Turkish to follow it.

Read next: Halay, Zeybek and Horon: The Dances Inside the Show

See the ruins by daylight

The show starts after the archaeological site has closed. When checked, Aspendos opened at 08:00 and closed at 19:00, with the last tickets sold at 18:30. So a transfer evening gives you the theatre by night but no time for the rest of the ancient city. If the ruins interest you, come back on a separate day. Beyond the theatre, Aspendos has a stadium, a basilica, a monumental fountain and an aqueduct about a kilometre long. Several Viator day tours from Antalya pair Aspendos with Perge and Side.

Who this isn't for

If you arrive on the coast after 20 October, this season is likely over for you. Look for the company on tour instead, or plan for next year. The Tourmania options checked are marked not wheelchair accessible. The Alanya option is listed as wheelchair accessible, so start there if you need it. Infants must sit on a lap. If you want to film the show, you can't: cameras aren't allowed. And from Kemer or Alanya, the dinner package is a long evening, starting around 17:00 and ending close to midnight.