FF MM · CC BY-SA 4.0Semana del Teatro (CEPATE)
A week of Paraguayan plays with free admission in Asunción venues, organized by the Paraguayan Theatre Centre.
What it is
The Semana del Teatro has been organized by the Paraguayan Theatre Centre (CEPATE) since 1980 and is the country's main annual showcase for the performing arts. Over one week it presents dozens of Paraguayan works premiered the previous year (23 in 2018; 28 in 2019, national and international), in venues such as the Manzana de la Rivera and the Municipal Theatre, along with other cultural spaces in the city and CEPATE's own headquarters. Performances are free, and there are usually talks and tributes to theatre figures. It falls around World Theatre Day on 27 March and is a good way into Paraguay's stage scene.
What to see and do
- Paraguayan plays premiered the previous year
- Free performances in Asunción venues
- Tributes to theatre figures
- Organized by CEPATE since 1980
Tips
Check the programme: performances are spread across several venues and seats are limited.,Arrive early, because small theatres fill up.,Check each play's language in the programme.
Dates may shift to the nearest weekend.
What to see
Asunción · Asunción (Distrito Capital)
Palacio de López (Palacio de Gobierno)
The palace Carlos Antonio López had built for his son, now the seat of the executive branch overlooking the bay.
Asunción · Asunción (Distrito Capital)
Panteón Nacional de los Héroes y Oratorio de la Virgen de la Asunción
The domed shrine where the great names of Paraguayan history rest, watched over by soldiers in full dress uniform.
Asunción · Asunción (Distrito Capital)
Plaza de los Héroes y calle Palma (centro histórico)
The main square and downtown's shopping street: handicrafts, a Saturday street fair and buildings that tell a century of stories.
Asunción · Asunción (Distrito Capital)
Museo Casa de la Independencia
The colonial house where Paraguay's independence was plotted on the night of May 14, 1811.
Festivals and events here
International Jazz Day in Asunción
Jazz concerts at cultural centers and stages around the capital to celebrate the genre’s world day.
MusicAsunción, Asunción (Distrito Capital)May→ JunAsunción International Book Fair (FIL)
Ten days of books, authors and language: the country’s great literary festival, with free entry and a guest country.
CulturalAsunción, Asunción (Distrito Capital)FeaturedMayIndependence Days (May 14 and 15)
Two public holidays for the 1811 independence: flags, ceremonies, sopa paraguaya and chipa guasu all over the country.
CulturalAsunción, Asunción (Distrito Capital)AugAugust 1: National Carrulim Day
On the first day of August people drink carrulim—cane liquor, rue and lemon—to ward off the ills of the most dreaded month.
TraditionAsunción y todo el país, VariosResearched and reviewed in September 2026 with 4 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.