The Opera of the Future: Don Giovanni Illuminates Phnom Penh with Brilliance and Conscience

Phnom Penh is about to experience an unprecedented cultural and artistic boldness with the 2025 Phnom Penh International Opera Festival, held on December 12 and 14 at the prestigious NABA Theater located within NagaWorld.

This edition celebrates the emblematic opera Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, in an ambitious production by All Dreams Cambodia and N&A Cambodia, closely collaborating with the Cambodia Opera Project.

This festival marks a decisive turning point in Cambodia’s cultural landscape. For the first time in the capital, an opera will be performed over two consecutive days, featuring a cosmopolitan artistic team gathering over 100 performers, musicians, technicians, and collaborators from Italy, France, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and of course, Cambodia. A symphony orchestra of 40 musicians, including the remarkable talents of the Angkor Youth Orchestra Association, will accompany the soloists’ singing. The integration of circus and dance artists from Phare Ponleu Selpak offers an original dimension, blending live arts with lyrical tradition in a way never seen before in the region.

A world first committed to sustainability

The 2025 edition is not just a high-level artistic event: it pioneers environmental responsibility. Phnom Penh hosts the world’s first opera production to fully offset its carbon footprint, including that linked to audience travel — a certified global innovation. This ambition is part of the festival’s adherence to the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, a strong commitment to measure, reduce, and offset carbon emissions according to the best international practices.

Carbon offsetting will notably support the Kah Sai Mo REDD+ project in Mondulkiri province, contributing to the preservation of local biodiversity and sustainable development of indigenous communities. The festival is also supported by partnerships with local sustainable transport actors, such as Vireak Buntham Express and TADA Cambodia, which will provide electric vehicles for transporting artists, technicians, and VIP guests.

The NABA Theater at NagaWorld

The NABA Theater, a jewel of Cambodia’s cultural offer, located in the NagaWorld 2 complex, with a capacity of 2,000 seats, embodies the residential and modern face of the country’s artistic scene. The exclusive three-year collaboration with NagaWorld ensures an exceptional setting combining comfort, optimal acoustics, and state-of-the-art infrastructure.

This strategic partnership aims not only to consolidate Phnom Penh as a must-visit destination for lyrical arts in Southeast Asia but also to structure a major annual cultural calendar, integrating international choral competitions and other major artistic events in the future.

Cultural dialogue and international influence

Supported by His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni, who expressed his enthusiasm and encouragement for the project, the festival benefits from the support of many international cultural institutions: the French Institute of Cambodia, the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia, EuroCham, as well as several local tourist and cultural associations.

This event fits within the national cultural diplomacy strategy and corresponds to Cambodia’s ambition to become a regional platform for artistic influence, notably with the perspective of the Francophonie Summit to be held in Phnom Penh in 2026. To celebrate this link, the festival’s programming will also include the French opera La Bohème by Puccini in the future, thus consolidating a cultural bridge between Cambodia and the Francophone world.

An orchestra of talents and an international artistic team

The artistic direction of this ambitious project is ensured by His Royal Highness Prince Sisowath Ravivaddhana Monipong, also affectionately known as the “Italian Prince,” and by the renowned Italian director Vincenzo Grisostomi Travaglini, whose personal touch notably enchanted Phnom Penh with the previous production of Madama Butterfly.

The costumes, designed by the talented Romyda and Parisian designer Thomas, draw inspiration from the richness of Khmer heritage, integrating Cambodian silk fibers into the opera’s visual ballet. The artistic palette is enriched by the lights created by Francesco, a recognized Italian expert, as well as the powerful and sensitive voices of soloists from all over the world.

A historic turning point for Phnom Penh’s cultural scene

The 2025 Phnom Penh International Opera Festival promises to be much more than a show: a landmark event combining world artistic excellence and revolutionary ecological commitment. The local and international public is invited to experience this unique event in Cambodia, placing Phnom Penh on the map of major cultural capitals, at the intersection of heritage, innovation, and environmental awareness.

By attending Don Giovanni in Phnom Penh, one participates not only in an artistic triumph but also in a strong gesture for the sustainable future of culture in the region.

This exceptional festival places Phnom Penh at the heart of an innovative international cultural dialogue, combining Mozart’s magic with ecological modernity, in a prestigious and convivial setting rarely seen in Southeast Asia.

Don Giovanni: A lyrical masterpiece blending seduction, morality, and destiny

Don Giovanni is an emblematic opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, created in 1787. This work is a dramma giocoso, skillfully blending comedy and tragedy, exploring profound themes like seduction, morality, and the consequences of human acts. The plot follows Don Giovanni, a relentless noble libertine who multiplies his amorous conquests without scruples. His dissipated life leads him to kill the father of one of his victims, the Commendatore, triggering a series of confrontations with characters such as Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, and Zerlina, each carrying her quest for justice or revenge.quête de justice ou de vengeance.

The drama culminates in a supernatural finale where an animated statue of the Commendatore condemns Don Giovanni to infernal punishment. Considered Mozart’s masterpiece, Don Giovanni is praised for its psychological complexity, balancing comedy and tragedy, and its sublime music, which remains one of the most divine ever composed.

This work embodies Mozart’s genius by offering a profound reflection on human nature while captivating the audience with its dramatic intensity and unforgettable melodies.

Program and ticketing

The Don Giovanni performance will be presented in two shows, on December 12 and 14, 2025, at the NABA Theater of NagaWorld. Tickets are available via the official website

WWW.phnompenhopera.com

Prices range from 40 USD to 180 USD, with various categories adapted to all audiences, ensuring accessibility and comfort.