Panama · DANCE
Key Facts
- —What happened The Panama dance festival PRISMA runs its 15th edition from 31 August to 27 September 2026.
- —How big The programme spans nearly a month with companies from Europe, Ibero-America and Panama.
- —The real story The festival mixes contemporary dance, video dance and free public-space performances.
- —The catch The festival dates differ from an earlier open call that mentioned 19 to 26 September.
- —Who it hits Venues include the Teatro Nacional, Biomuseo, San Miguelito metro station and CACCO in Colón.
- —What comes next Opening night is 31 August with tanzmainz; closing is 27 September with Gauthier Dance.
The fifteenth edition of the Panama dance festival brings companies from Europe, Ibero-America and Panama to venues across the capital and beyond.
The Panama dance festival PRISMA returns for its fifteenth edition from Monday 31 August to Sunday 27 September 2026. The programme spans contemporary dance, video dance and public-space interventions across Panama City and beyond.
Fifteenth Edition of the Panama Dance Festival
In fact, the Panama dance festival PRISMA celebrates its fifteenth edition in 2026, according to Panamá24Horas and Metrolibre. Founded in 2012, the festival has become a meeting point for contemporary creation and new audiences, the outlets report.
The commemorative programme brings together companies, choreographers and creators from Europe, Ibero-America and Panama. Moreover, it offers shows, residencies, masterclasses, video dance and public-space interventions for almost a month.
The programme range runs from 31 August to 27 September 2026, according to the festival’s own pages. However, the October 2025 open call mentioned 19 to 26 September, so the two dates differ.
Opening Night at the Teatro Áurea
The festival opens on Monday 31 August 2026 at 8pm with the German company tanzmainz performing Soul Chain by Sharon Eyal. The 60-minute show takes place at the Teatro Áurea “Baby” Torrijos in Ciudad de las Artes, Altos de Curundú, Panama City.
However, tickets for opening night cost US$20 for Luneta 2 and US$30 for Luneta 1. With fees, they are US$24.97 and US$36.20.
The same theatre hosts another show on Sunday 20 September with tickets at US$20 for either section. The opening night is a single performance of Soul Chain, lasting 60 minutes.
After that, the same theatre hosts another show on 20 September with tickets at US$20 for either section.
Closing Performance at the Teatro Nacional
The closing performance on Sunday 27 September 2026 at 4.30pm features Gauthier Dance from the Theaterhaus Stuttgart in Germany. In addition, they perform Turning of Bones by Akram Khan, a 65-minute work at the Teatro Nacional in the Casco Antiguo.
This closing show is free for beneficiaries of charitable foundations and is followed by a post-show discussion. The same work is performed as a ticketed show on Saturday 26 September at 8pm at the same venue.
The closing show is free for charity beneficiaries, but the same work is ticketed on 26 September. In addition, the free performance includes a post-show discussion with the audience.
Ticket Prices and Booking
Meanwhile, tickets for Teatro Nacional shows on 22. 24 and 26 September range from US$10 for a Palco 2 box to US$30 for the stalls.
Booking fees bring the totals to US$13.51, US$19.62, US$32.09 and US$37.98. Meanwhile, at the Teatro Ateneo in Ciudad del Saber, general admission for shows on 21, 23 and 25 September is US$10.
With fees, it is US$13.70. Still, tickets are sold online through Panatickets, except for one show that uses Eventbrite.
Booking fees vary by venue and ticket type, as shown in the totals. Meanwhile, one show at the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo is booked via Eventbrite instead of Panatickets.
Free Performances Across the City
Several performances are marked “ENTRADA GRATIS”, meaning free entry. For example, these include shows at the CACCO in Colón for schoolchildren on 16 and 17 September.
Also at the San Miguelito metro station on 17 and 25 September. Other free events take place at Xielo in Parque Lefevre.
They also happen at the Biomuseo on the Amador Causeway and the International School of Panamá. The Biomuseo hosts free shows on 19 and 26 September at 4.30pm.
Free shows also occur at the San Miguelito metro station on 17 and 25 September. In addition, the Biomuseo hosts free performances on 19 and 26 September at 4.30pm.
Venues Across Panama City and Beyond
The 2026 programme uses venues including the Teatro Nacional, the Teatro Ateneo, the Biomuseo and the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo. It also includes Xielo, the San Miguelito metro station, the International School of Panamá and the CACCO in Colón.
By contrast, the Casco Antiguo is the restored colonial old town. The Amador Causeway is a strip of reclaimed land at the Pacific mouth of the Panama Canal.
Ciudad del Saber is a former US military base turned into a research campus. The Teatro Nacional sits in the Casco Antiguo, the restored colonial old town.
Meanwhile, the Biomuseo stands on the Amador Causeway at the Pacific mouth of the Panama Canal.
A Preview in Chiriquí
Ahead of the main programme, the festival went to the province of Chiriquí in western Panama on Friday 21 August 2026. Therefore, Metrolibre reported this as part of the celebrations for the festival’s 15 years.
This preview event is separate from the main festival dates. The festival’s own programme, published at festivalprisma.
com, lists the main events from 31 August to 27 September. The Chiriquí event is a preview, not part of the main programme.
Still, it marks the festival’s 15 years, as reported by Metrolibre.
Support From the Ministry of Culture
The festival has the backing of Panama’s Ministerio de Cultura, the Ministry of Culture. Panamá24Horas reports this support, though no minister or official is quoted by name.
The festival is run by the Fundación PRISMA Danza, the PRISMA Dance Foundation. Its open call of October 2025 invited Ibero-American creators to participate in the fifteenth edition.
The Ministry of Culture’s backing is reported, but no official is named. As a result, the festival’s leadership remains unnamed in the coverage.
Post-Show Discussions and Formats
Several performances are followed by a conversatorio pos-espectáculo, a post-show discussion with the audience. These are marked for shows at CACCO, Xielo, the Teatro Ateneo, the International School of Panamá and the Teatro Nacional.
The festival also includes videodanza, or video dance, which is dance made for the screen. Contemporary dance, the core form, draws on ballet, modern and everyday movement rather than a fixed classical vocabulary.
Post-show discussions follow many shows, including those at the Teatro Nacional on 27 September. Meanwhile, videodanza, or video dance, is a separate format for screen-based work.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Panama dance festival PRISMA take place in 2026?
The Panama dance festival PRISMA runs from Monday 31 August to Sunday 27 September 2026. This range is confirmed by the festival’s own programme and by Panamanian press reports.
How much do tickets cost for the Panama dance festival?
Ticket prices vary by venue and seating. At the Teatro Nacional, prices range from US$10 to US$30, plus booking fees.
Are there free performances at the Panama dance festival?
Yes, several performances are marked free entry. These include shows at the CACCO in Colón, the San Miguelito metro station, Xielo, the Biomuseo and the International School of Panamá.
Where can I buy tickets for the Panama dance festival?
Tickets are sold online through Panatickets at panatickets. boletosenlinea.
Connected Coverage
Sources: festivalprisma.com; Fundación PRISMA Danza; Panatickets; Panamá24Horas; Metrolibre; La Estrella de Panamá.
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