Georgia has a distinctive folk dance tradition that has won the hearts of audiences across the world. Sword dances, gravity-defying leaps, polyphonic singing, and coloured costumes. This is a Georgian dance show, one of the trademarks of Georgian culture.
Whether you are staying in Tbilisi or spending a week on the Black Sea coast, this guide covers the best places to experience a traditional Georgian performance. Find out about dinner venues with nightly concerts and ticketed events by Georgia's famous dance groups.
Where to See Georgian Dance Shows in Tbilisi?
The easiest way to watch Georgian folk dances in the capital is at a restaurant with a live evening programme. Tbilisi has several that pair the country's gastronomy with professional Georgian dance shows.
Ethno Tsiskvili
Start here if it is your first time. Ethno Tsiskvili (ეთნო წისქვილი) is among Tbilisi's most established restaurants. It holds live Georgian dances every evening of the week. The famous ethno-jazz band Egari (ეგარი) performs alongside its own Georgian dance troupe. The setting leans into the folk aesthetic – water mills, traditional décor – and the whole experience feels very genuine.
In the Shadow of Metekhi
Perched near the historic Metekhi Church on the upper floor of the In the Shadow of Metekhi Hotel (მეტეხის ჩრდილში), live music and Georgian folk dance fill the room every night from 20:00. The dancers come from the Rustavi Ensemble (რუსთავი), one of the respected folk dance companies. And the vocalist, Irine Chikhladze, has a captivating voice that breathes life into Georgian pop melodies. An undisputed highlight of this place is a gorgeous view over Tbilisi from its terraced corner.
Gorgasali
Every region of Georgia dances differently – and Gorgasali (გორგასალი) puts that on display every evening from 20:00. The night opens with live singing, followed at 21:00 by five Georgian folk dances drawn from different regions of the country. Each dance represents a distinct regional tradition – costume, rhythm and choreography. It is truly a rich window into how much Georgian dance varies across the country.
Georgian House
If one venue can claim to do the most, it is Georgian House (ქართული სახლი). A four-hour evening of a Georgian dance show runs every day except Wednesday, starting at 20:00. The band, led by pianist Soso Laliashvili, comprises six instrumentalists and nine vocalists, performing alongside a quintet and soloist Irina Maisuradze.
The first half of the evening is devoted to Georgian polyphonic singing, Georgian folk music and compositions from Georgian cinema, with four folk dance interludes performed by the Erisioni graceful dancers. The second half shifts to an international repertoire with soloists Tika Makhaldiani, Sandro Lashkhi and Mariam Gvelesiani.
Ethnographer
The evening at Ethnographer (ეთნოგრაფი) begins earlier than anywhere else on this list. Its Ethnographic Hall opens every evening at 18:00. The music is accompanied by Paata Andriadze, a prominent Georgian pianist, with vocalists Ilia Gelashvili (known as an "Erisioni Voice"), Natia Koroghlishvili and Elene Pochkhua. The Georgian folk dance is performed by Erisioni dancers.
The concept goes beyond entertainment. Ethnographer frames itself as a living museum of Georgian hospitality with immersive cultural dance shows in the city.
Tbilisi Concert Hall (Philharmonic)
The city's main indoor stage is the Tbilisi Concert Hall (თბილისი საკონცერტო დარბაზი), known as the Philharmonic. Georgia's leading dance companies perform here periodically throughout the year. No fixed schedule exists, so it is worth checking tkt.ge and biletebi.ge regularly if your travel dates are flexible.
Where to See Georgian Dance Shows in Batumi?
Traditional Georgian dances find a different home on the Black Sea coast. Venues in Batumi range from a hilltop entertainment complex with summer folk evenings to a historic boulevard theatre that has been drawing audiences since 1947.
Argo Cable Car & Entertainment Centre
Perched on Anuria Mountain at 256 metres above sea level, the Argo complex (არგო) is reached by cable car from Bako Street in central Batumi. The 15-minute journey across 2,587 metres of cable is stunning.
During the summer, the centre's verandah adjacent to the café-bar hosts free Georgian folk dance performances and dance masterclasses by ensemble Racha (რაჭა) from 19:00 to 22:00 in June, July and August.
Children’s entertainment comes first, followed by a traditional Georgian dance show. And for those who want to join in, there is a hands-on masterclass to finish. The complex also has a wine shop and an observation deck.
argo-batumi.ge – note that the dance programme takes place in summer only and is weather-dependent. Call ahead to confirm.
Sunset Batumi
The evening show at the restaurant Sunset Batumi (სანსეტ ბათუმი) starts at 20:00, with Georgian folk dance and singing by the Batumi Sunset dancers. The symbiosis of a Black Sea backdrop and live folk music makes for a straightforward, enjoyable evening.
Batumi Summer Theatre
The Batumi Summer Theatre (ბათუმის საზაფხულო თეატრი) is a traditional wooden venue on the Batumi boulevard, established in 1947, and serves as the city's main cultural venue during the summer season. It hosts Georgian dance performances, including regular appearances by Georgia's professional dance companies. The event lineup changes each season.
If your stay in Batumi falls during summer, check the current schedule on tkt.ge under Concerts or at www.infobatumi.ge. Tickets from major folklore companies sell out quickly – book as soon as your trip dates are confirmed.
Famous Georgian Dance Companies
Understanding who is performing makes any Georgian dance show more meaningful. These are the famous Georgian dance groups whose names appear on the prominent stages, in Georgia and internationally.
Sukhishvili Georgian National Ballet
The Sukhishvili Georgian National Ballet (სუხიშვილების ქართული ეროვნული ბალეტი), founded in 1945 by Iliko Sukhishvili and Nino Ramishvili, is Georgia's most internationally recognised dance company. It has performed in over 90 countries. Their choreography is the interpretation of the Georgian folk dance tradition through a modern lens. Their productions are theatrical and highly athletic.
Erisioni
In 1977, NASA included a Georgian polyphonic song aboard the Voyager spacecraft. The recording that made it into space was performed by Erisioni.
Founded in 1885 as the Georgian State Academic Ensemble of Song and Dance and renamed Erisioni (ერისიონი) in 1999, the company has spent over a century building one of the most distinctive repertoires in folk dance and polyphonic singing.
Its productions in the early 2000s, “Legend of Tamar” and “Georgian Legend”, have drawn praise from the New York Post and Los Angeles Times, earned a Gold Disc in Paris, and reached audiences across the United States, Europe and China. A star bearing the ensemble's name stands in front of the Tbilisi Philharmonic (Tbilisi Concert Hall).
Upcoming international tour dates worldwide will be announced at erisioni.ge.
State Royal National Ballet of Georgia
Artistic directors Gela Potskhishvili and Maia Kiknadze lead this Tbilisi-based dance company, whose signature production – Fire of Georgia – brings together Georgian folk dances, elaborate Georgian dance costumes and live musical accompaniment from a cast of 30 to 50 dancers.
Georgian Dance Show Events & Tickets 2026-2027
Fire of Georgia – Batumi Summer Theatre
The State Royal National Ballet performs Fire of Georgia at the Batumi Summer Theatre each summer.
Seats go quickly. Browse tkt.ge for possible dates and Georgian ballet tickets for the season.
Sukhishvili at the Outdoor Stage “Takara”, Tbilisi
When indoor performances were banned during the pandemic, Nino Sukhishvili, a director and general producer of the Georgian National Ballet, came up with the idea of building an open-air stage on the Napetvrebi Hills, about 10 minutes from Tbilisi. Five summers later, it has become Sukhishvili's creative laboratory. Every season brings entirely new Georgian dance performances, musical compositions and costumes made specifically for this stage.
Dates and tickets will be listed online at tkt.ge and biletebi.ge – search for “Sukhishvili” or “Takara”.
Sukhishvili Festival
In May 2026, the Sukhishvili Georgian National Ballet launched its own festival – a three-day event at the amphitheatre of Tsinandali Estate, the historic home of the 19th-century poet and statesman Alexander Chavchavadze in the Kakheti wine region. Each day brought a different programme drawn from the ensemble's 80-year repertoire. The festival is planned as an annual event. Watch tkt.ge for the 2027 dates.
Sukhishvili USA Tour 2026
The Sukhishvili Georgian national tour 2026 brings the entire troupe to stages in the United States and Canada this autumn. For anyone who has seen them in Georgia and wants to see them again – or for those yet to make the trip to Tbilisi – it is a rare chance to admire a world-class Georgian folk dance on home ground.
Dates, tickets, and whereabouts at www.sukhishvili.net.
Tips for Booking Georgian Dance Show Tickets
- Book ahead. The Sukhishvili Ballet and Fire of Georgia performances at Batumi Summer Theatre sell out during peak summer. Refer to tkt.ge for tickets.
- Reserve a table at restaurants. Tbilisi restaurants on this list host late-evening shows, but a table reservation is recommended, especially during high season.
- Argo Entertainment Centre in Batumi. The dance programme runs from June to August, from 19:00 to 22:00. A call in advance is necessary to confirm the evening's schedule.
- tkt.ge and biletebi.ge are the main ticketing platforms. For any ticketed Georgian dance event in Georgia by Sukhishvili, the State Royal National Ballet of Georgia, or Erisioni, this is where to buy. The sites also operate in English.