The Colombian capital began experiencing the second edition of the International Festival of the Performing Arts – FIAV Bogota 2026, which will run until April 5, with a focus on local creation that had as its starting point the premiere of three major productions designed for children, youth, and family audiences, showcasing the creative power of the city.
This year, the Festival connects five continents through 25 international performances from 16 countries, alongside the creative force of 32 national companies and 44 district companies. More than 100 works will bring to life over 200 performances across 35 venues in the city, including theaters and open spaces, reaffirming its commitment to decentralization and access for new audiences. Madrid will be the invited international region of honor, while the Colombian Caribbean will headline the national programming.
All of these performances reflect the commitment of the Mayor’s Office of Bogotá to the production, circulation, and access to performing arts, in coordination with the Bogota Philharmonic Orchestra, the District Institute of the Arts, and other sector partners such as the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Knowledge; the Bogota Chamber of Commerce; and Cocrea.
Not to be missed this weekend
The main highlight of this first weekend will be district creations, with three large-scale premieres showcasing the artistic strength of the city. The opening will be led by “Arquitectura de un Vacio” (Architecture of an Emptiness), an ambitious multidisciplinary production presented on March 27 at the Teatro Jorge Eliecer Gaitan. More than 30 artists on stage integrate theater, dance, circus, and music in a real-time creation based on soundpainting, inviting the audience to immerse themselves in a living, changing, and collective experience.
This work, co-produced by Teatro Libre and Improvisual with the support of the Mayor’s Office of Bogota, will have additional performances on March 28 at 8:00 p.m. and March 29 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Joining this opening is “Las Cuatro Estaciones: Anatomía de un vínculo” (The Four Seasons: Anatomy of a Bond), a sonic and choreographic journey that intertwines the elegance of Antonio Vivaldi, the intensity of Astor Piazzolla, and the contemporary reinterpretation of Max Richter, recently nominated for the 2026 Oscar for Best Original Score for Hamnet.
With the participation of the Youth Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Corrado Bolsi, this production integrates music, dance, and technology into a sensory and poetic experience where sound transforms into body, space, and image, inviting the audience to inhabit the work beyond listening. A production by the Mayor’s Office of Bogotá, it is shaping up to be one of the year’s major cultural milestones. It will be performed at the Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo on Saturday, March 28 at 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Meanwhile, “Pedro y el Lobo: ¿Quien dijo Miedo?” (Peter and the Wolf: Who Said Fear?) reinterprets the famous work by Sergei Prokofiev in a large-scale choreographic production, with narration by Juan Pablo Raba and live music by the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Elizabeth Vergara. An experience designed for audiences of all ages that combines music, theater, and a powerful visual universe. Performances are on March 29 at 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., and March 30 at 5:00 p.m., at the Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo.
The Plaza Cultural La Santamaria will host, on March 28 and 29, one of the most sublime outdoor performances. As the opening of this first weekend, the Festival will take over the city sky with “Aria”, by the Spanish company Zenit Aerial Ballet: a production in which eight dancers will rise to 30 meters in the air, accompanied by live music, lights, and visual effects.
In this way, they offer an experience that promises to move the audience. Inspired by Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, this production proposes a poetic journey connecting the body, nature, and memory, transforming the public space into a high-impact aerial stage.