Same ensemble, two different evenings
Both productions are performed by the same ensemble — the Troy Dance Show is staged by more than 100 dancers of the Fire of Anatolia company — and they are priced within three euro of each other, at €65 and €68 per adult. So this is not a quality comparison. It is a structural one. Fire of Anatolia is a showcase: a sequence of Anatolian dance traditions, including the Semah of the Alevi-Bektashi tradition, performed at pace. Troy is a single narrative, Homer's epic told in thirteen scenes.
Want a story with a beginning and an end? Troy. Want the broadest sweep of Turkish dance in one evening? Fire of Anatolia.
Check which one is running on your dates
This matters more than the comparison itself. The Aspendos programme changes from season to season, and our two Aspendos listings currently disagree about which production is scheduled: the Fire of Anatolia listing states that Troy is not part of this season's Aspendos programme, while the Troy listing gives performances on selected evenings from early August to the end of September. We are not going to guess which is right on a page you might act on. Ask us for your travel dates and we will confirm what is actually playing before you commit — reservation is free and you pay on the day, so there is nothing at stake in asking.
What the two evenings have in common
- The venue. The Roman theatre at Aspendos, raised in the 2nd century AD, open to the sky, with the seating on the original stone tiers. It is one of the best-preserved theatres of the ancient world, and the building is half the reason to go.
- No dialogue. Both shows are told entirely through dance, live rhythm, costume and light. Language is irrelevant, which is why they work for mixed international groups.
- A cast of more than 100.
- A late evening. Fire of Anatolia begins at 21:00. Both are open-air, and evenings turn cool even in August.
- Free reservation, payment on the day, free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
- A VIP seating upgrade, charged per person, on both.
Where they differ
Fire of Anatolia — €65 adult, €30 child
Structured as a showcase rather than a plot, which means the energy is relentless but you are not following anyone's fate. It is the more forgiving choice for children and for anyone who might drift in and out of concentration. Children's arena entry is free; on the transfer options a child still needs a paid seat in the vehicle, and security may ask for ID to confirm a child's age.
It is also the more flexible booking: you can take a ticket-only reservation and make your own way to the theatre, or add round-trip hotel transfer from the Antalya, Side, Belek, Kemer or Alanya areas. If you come independently, arrive early — the stone tiers are unnumbered and first-come.
Troy Dance Show — €68 adult, €31 child
Thirteen scenes, live music, dramatic lighting and flame, following the story of Troy. It rewards an audience that will sit still and follow a narrative, and it lands hardest with anyone who knows the story going in — reading the outline to children on the coach is genuinely worth doing.
Hotel pickup and return in an air-conditioned coach is included as standard, with departures from the Antalya region and from Side, Belek, Alanya and Kemer. Guests staying inside Antalya's old town meet the vehicle near the Hadrian's Gate area, as coaches cannot enter the pedestrian lanes. The child rate applies from age seven, with infants under three free.
Who should not book either
- Anyone expecting a dinner show. Food and drink are excluded from both. If you want a meal built into the evening, this is not the format.
- Anyone who needs a numbered seat. Standard seating is on unnumbered ancient stone. The VIP upgrade improves placement but the venue is still a Roman theatre, not an auditorium.
- Guests with mobility difficulties. Stone steps and uneven surfaces throughout. Contact us before booking rather than after.
- Small children who cannot manage a late night. A 21:00 curtain plus the drive back is a very long evening for under-sixes, however family-friendly the content is.
- Anyone sensitive to loud sound and stage lighting. Both productions are built on volume and light.
A third option worth knowing about
If your visit falls in September and your taste runs more classical than theatrical, the Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival stages full opera and ballet productions in the same theatre for €45 per adult — the cheapest way into that building all season, with the Category 2 ticket and return hotel transfer both included. It runs 12–26 September 2026 on selected nights, and bookings are taken from age eight.
Bring a light jacket and, if you take one piece of advice from this page, a small cushion. The seating is bare stone, and two hours on it is a long time.
All three evenings sit on our shows, parks and tickets page. For the full cost breakdown, read what Aspendos show tickets cost with hotel transfer. If you are choosing between an evening show and a full day out, which excursion to choose from Side and Land of Legends by day or by night cover the alternatives.