Cambodia’s Premier Opera Festival Launches with World-First Carbon-Neutral Production

The Phnom Penh International Opera Festival, Southeast Asia’s premier sustainable cultural platform, officially launched today under a three-year partnership (2025–2028) between All Dreams Cambodia, N&A Cambodia, and NagaWorld.

Announced to the press on November 24, 2025, at the NABA Theatre within the NagaWorld complex, the festival will mobilise more than 100 artists, musicians, and technicians to deliver world-class performances.

As a signatory to the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, the festival will pioneer comprehensive carbon accountability within the cultural sector.

Three Strategic Partnerships Transform Cambodia’s Cultural Landscape

This alliance brings together three major agreements running through 2028, positioning Cambodia as a regional hub for world-class performing arts while advancing environmental accountability across production, logistics, and audience experience.

NagaWorld Partnership 2025–2028

The three-year collaboration with NagaWorld grants exclusive access to the 2,000-seat NABA Theatre at NagaWorld 2 for a series of cultural and entertainment events, beginning with Mozart’s Don Giovanni from December 12-14, 2025. The agreement includes venue support, hospitality services, and a revenue-sharing model designed to ensure sustainable growth for Cambodia’s opera scene.

Green Transportation Partnerships

Aligned with its carbon-neutral commitment, the Phnom Penh International Opera Festival has signed agreements with Vireak Buntham Express and TADA Cambodia to maximise the use of electric vehicles (EVs) for artists, technicians, and VIP guests throughout the production period. Vireak Buntham, operating Cambodia’s first electric luxury vans and buses between major cities, and TADA, with its expanding EV fleet and zero-commission ride-hailing model, will provide low-emission ground transport services to significantly reduce mobility-related carbon emissions.

Phnom Penh International Opera Festival

Under the artistic direction of His Royal Highness Prince Sisowath Ravivaddhana Monipong and renowned Italian director Vincenzo Grisostomi Travaglini, the festival will present three major productions:

• Don Giovanni (2025)
• La Bohème (2026), coinciding with the XXth Francophonie Summit
• La Traviata (2027)

Don Giovanni: A World-First in Environmental Commitment

The December 2025 production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni will be the world’s first opera to calculate and offset its complete carbon footprint, including not only staff and performers but also audience travel and accommodation.

As part of this ambition, the festival commits to measuring, reducing, reporting, and offsetting emissions in line with international sustainable-events standards. The 2025 edition will mobilise more than 100 artists, musicians, technicians, and creative professionals from Cambodia and abroad, making it one of the largest and most environmentally engaged performing-arts initiatives ever staged in the Kingdom.

“For what should be the first time worldwide, the total carbon footprint of the event will be measured comprehensively,” said Jacques Guichandut, Production Director. “This sets a new benchmark by covering all sources of impact, proving that world-class performance and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand.”

The production brings together more than 100 international and local talents, including an Italian-French-Japanese-Korean-Malaysian ensemble, a 40-member symphony orchestra featuring musicians from the Angkor Youth Orchestra Association, and circus and dance artists from Phare Ponleu Selpak.

Royal Patronage and International Support

The production has received the support of His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, who wrote:
 “En me réjouissant de l’avancée de votre projet Don Giovanni, je vous félicite pour vos efforts constants pour la promotion de la musique et de l’amitié entre les peuples.”

The festival is also backed by the Institut Français du Cambodge, Italian Business Chamber Cambodia (ITACHAM), EuroCham, and multiple tourism and cultural associations.

The partnerships with Vireak Buntham Express and TADA Cambodia reinforce the festival’s holistic sustainability strategy. By maximising EV transport during the production period, the festival significantly reduces emissions from one of the largest contributors to event-related carbon output.

Building Cambodia’s Cultural Soft Power

The annual opera series at NABA Theatre aims to position Cambodia as a hub for high-level cultural events in Southeast Asia, attracting international audiences through exclusive packages with airline partners and engaging specialist press and cultural influencers.

“This festival is fully aligned with Cambodia’s strategy for cultural diplomacy and supports the nation’s emergence as a regional cultural platform,” festival documentation states.

The initiative strengthens Cambodia’s cultural soft power while supporting sustainable development for local arts infrastructure and talent.

Looking Ahead

The three-year partnership establishes an annual cultural calendar at NABA Theatre, with plans to expand beyond opera to include international choral competitions in collaboration with INTERKULTUR, including a National Choir Contest during the 2026 Francophonie Summit and the Royal Choral Awards in 2027.

Profit distribution prioritises sustainability, with allocations of:

• 15 per cent to future performance reserves
• 15 per cent to training projects
• 10 per cent to NGO and community initiatives alongside fair compensation for producers (40 per cent) and artists (20 per cent).