Hammamet International Festival

The Hammamet International Festival is one of Tunisia’s longest-running summer cultural events, held annually at the Centre Culturel International de Hammamet (CCIH). The CCIH is an open-air cultural centre set on a hill at the edge of Hammamet overlooking the sea, originally established within the estate of the Romanian-born arts patron George Sebastian in the 1960s. The amphitheatre on the grounds — designed to frame the Mediterranean as a backdrop — seats several hundred spectators and is widely considered one of the most beautiful cultural venues in North Africa.

History and Character

The festival began in the late 1960s and has continued largely uninterrupted since, making it one of the foundational events of Tunisia’s cultural summer season. It tends to programme theatre, dance, and world music at a more intimate scale than the Festival de Carthage, and its setting gives it a distinctly different atmosphere — the audience sits close to the stage, the sea is visible beyond the performers, and the surrounding gardens of the old Sebastian villa add to the sense of occasion.

Productions have historically included Arabic and French-language theatre from North African and European companies, contemporary dance, flamenco, traditional Tunisian music, and jazz. The programme for each edition is announced by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and published through official Tunisian tourism channels.

Getting There

Hammamet is approximately 60 km south of Tunis on the Cap Bon peninsula. Louage shared taxis connect Tunis with Hammamet throughout the day, with journey times around 1.5 hours. Private taxis and rental cars are also common options for the festival; the CCIH is accessible by road and has open ground nearby for parking. If you are staying at one of the resort hotels in the Yasmine Hammamet area (about 8 km from the old town), factor in additional travel time or arrange a hotel transfer.

For transport between cities and more on how to get around the Cap Bon peninsula, see our getting around Tunisia guide.

Practical Information

Tickets are sold through official Tunisian cultural event channels and at the CCIH box office. Prices vary by event — theatre and dance performances tend to be more affordable than major music nights. The venue does not have a large commercial hospitality area, so eating beforehand in Hammamet town is a good idea. The old medina of Hammamet, a short walk from the CCIH, has restaurants and cafes suitable for a pre-show dinner.

The amphitheatre is outdoors but the hillside location means it can be cooler than the beach in the evening; bring a light layer for after 10pm. Seating is tiered and generally comfortable, but the venue is on a slope, so flat shoes are recommended for navigating the grounds in the dark.

The CCIH and Sebastian villa are worth visiting during the day independently of the festival — the house itself is open as a heritage site and the gardens have views across the Gulf of Hammamet toward Cap Bon.