GIFT in Georgia: dates, meaning and how to experience it

By Mariam Lomidze, GTour desk · Fact-checked against the sources listed · Last checked 25 October 2026 · Editorial policy

What it is

GIFT — the Georgian International Festival of Arts, also known in the press as the Tbilisi International Festival of Arts — is Georgia’s principal contemporary performing-arts festival. Unlike most entries in a Georgian holiday calendar, its name is not a Georgian word with an ancient root but an English acronym, adopted because the festival was conceived from the outset as an international, rather than strictly national, event. In Georgian the festival is simply transliterated or referred to by its English title, a small sign of how consciously it was built to speak to audiences and touring companies beyond Georgia’s borders.

The festival was founded and is directed by Keti Dolidze, a Georgian actress and cultural producer who turned her standing in Georgian theatre and film into a platform for bringing international drama, dance and music companies to Tbilisi, and for giving Georgian ensembles exposure to visiting foreign critics, programmers and audiences. It is not a religious or state holiday; it draws theatre-goers, culture-minded Tbilisi residents, diplomats, and increasingly international visitors who plan a trip around the programme. Performances run in Georgian, Russian, English and other languages depending on the touring company, usually with surtitles, so the audience is as mixed as the stage.

Historical background

• 1850s–1900s — Tbilisi develops as a theatrical and operatic centre of the South Caucasus under the Russian Empire, with purpose-built theatre and opera houses erected on and near Rustaveli Avenue.
• 1921–1991 — under Soviet rule, Georgian theatre, notably the Shota Rustaveli State Academic Theatre, builds an international reputation, including through the work of director Robert Sturua from 1979 onward.
• 1991 — Georgia regains independence; state subsidy for the arts contracts sharply during the subsequent years of economic and political instability.
• 2000s — Tbilisi’s theatres and independent companies gradually rebuild international touring and exchange links as the economy stabilises.
• 2009 — according to Georgian cultural press, Keti Dolidze establishes GIFT to bring international theatre, dance and music productions to Tbilisi on an annual basis.
• 2010s — the festival expands across multiple Tbilisi venues, including the Rustaveli and Marjanishvili theatres and the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theatre, and becomes a fixture of the city’s late-autumn cultural calendar.
• 2020 — like international festivals worldwide, GIFT’s programme is affected by pandemic-related restrictions on travel and public gatherings.
• 2020s — in-person international touring resumes, and the festival continues to run in the late-October-to-mid-November window, with the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Youth of Georgia among its supporters.

Tbilisi’s claim to the festival sits on a long theatrical inheritance. The city’s grand nineteenth-century theatre and opera buildings on and near Rustaveli Avenue were built when Tbilisi was a cosmopolitan administrative capital of the Russian Caucasus, hosting touring companies from across the empire and beyond. That inheritance survived, often precariously, through the Soviet period and the difficult 1990s, when state arts funding collapsed alongside the wider economy. The Ministry of Culture, Sport and Youth of Georgia and city authorities have since worked to restore Tbilisi’s position as a regional cultural hub, and festivals such as GIFT are part of that effort, alongside independent initiative from figures within the theatre world itself.

GIFT belongs to a modern, post-Soviet generation of Georgian cultural institutions built by individuals rather than by state decree. Keti Dolidze, already known to Georgian audiences through film and stage work, used her standing to persuade international companies and funders to bring productions to Tbilisi at a time when direct flights, visas and sponsorship were far harder to arrange than they are today. The festival’s continued operation through political change, economic strain and a pandemic is itself part of the story the Georgian press and English-language Tbilisi media have tracked year by year.

Meaning and traditions

GIFT has no fixed ritual script; its content changes with each year’s invited companies. Typical programming includes European and international drama troupes, contemporary dance, chamber and orchestral music, and occasional opera, staged alongside new or recent work by Georgian directors and ensembles. An opening night is usually held at one of Tbilisi’s grand nineteenth-century venues, and a closing event brings the programme to a formal end several weeks later.

A few Georgian terms are useful for visitors: teatri (თეატრი) means theatre; scena (სცენა) is stage; bileti (ბილეთი) is ticket; and gamodzakhili (გამოძახილი), literally “echo” or “response,” is sometimes used loosely for a curtain call or audience reception. There is no fixed festival food or song, since GIFT is a modern arts event rather than a folk or religious observance, but its late-October-to-mid-November timing means it often overlaps with Tbilisoba, the city’s own autumn civic festival, giving visitors two distinct, overlapping cultural experiences — one municipal and folkloric, one international and contemporary.

When it happens

GIFT does not fall on a fixed date. Its organisers set exact opening and closing dates each year, generally within a window running from late October to mid-November, and announce the full programme in the preceding months. There is no church or state rule governing the timing; it is set purely by the festival’s own scheduling and the availability of touring companies.

In 2026 the festival is running in its customary late-October-to-mid-November window; this guide is published mid-festival, on 25 October 2026. The following edition is provisionally set for 23 October to 14 November 2027, though organisers confirm final dates closer to the event. GIFT is not a public holiday: government offices, banks, shops and transport operate normally throughout the festival, and only the participating theatres follow the festival’s own performance schedule rather than their usual season programme.

Where to experience it

Performances are concentrated in central Tbilisi, principally along and near Rustaveli Avenue: the Shota Rustaveli State Academic Theatre, the Kote Marjanishvili State Drama Theatre, and the Z. Paliashvili Tbilisi State Opera and Ballet Theatre (commonly called the Opera House) are the festival’s main stages, with smaller independent venues sometimes added to the programme. Evening performances typically begin between 19:00 and 20:00; doors usually open thirty to forty-five minutes earlier.

Visitors should book tickets in advance for high-profile international companies, as popular performances sell out. Dress is smart casual; formal dress is not required except for premium opening or closing galas. Inside the theatres, phones should be silenced and photography during performances avoided unless explicitly permitted; applause conventions follow standard European theatre practice. Foreign-language productions are usually presented with Georgian and often English surtitles.

Did you know

• GIFT was founded by actress and producer Keti Dolidze, linking a generation of Soviet-era Georgian film and stage stars to the country’s post-independence cultural institutions.
• The festival’s main venues, including the Rustaveli Theatre and the Tbilisi Opera House, were built as grand nineteenth-century theatre houses when Tbilisi was a cosmopolitan Caucasian capital under the Russian Empire.
• The Rustaveli Theatre gained wide international recognition under director Robert Sturua, who led the company from 1979, long before GIFT itself existed.
• GIFT is not a public holiday, and its dates can shift by several weeks from year to year depending on touring schedules.
• Its autumn timing frequently overlaps with Tbilisoba, the city’s own long-running municipal festival, so visitors can experience both a civic folk celebration and an international arts programme in the same trip.

Practical tips for visitors

Fly into Tbilisi International Airport, the gateway for the capital’s theatre district; taxis and ride-hailing apps are the most convenient way to reach Rustaveli Avenue venues, and the Rustaveli metro station sits close to several theatres. Late October and November evenings in Tbilisi are cool, so visitors should bring a coat for the walk between venues and restaurants. Book performance tickets online or through theatre box offices well ahead of the festival, particularly for internationally touring companies. GTour arranges a private driver or guide for festival evenings, covering transport between theatres and suggested pre- or post-show dining.

Combine it with

Tbilisi’s festival evenings pair well with daytime excursions. Visitors often combine GIFT with a day trip to Kakheti for wine-region touring, to Mtskheta-Mtianeti to see Georgia’s ancient capital and its early Christian churches, or to Kazbegi for mountain scenery, returning to Tbilisi in time for the evening’s performance.

Questions travellers ask

Is GIFT a public holiday in Georgia?

No. GIFT is a privately organised arts festival, not a state or religious holiday, so offices, shops, banks and transport run on a normal schedule throughout its dates.

Do I need to understand Georgian to enjoy the performances?

Not necessarily. Many productions are presented in their original language with Georgian and often English surtitles, and dance and music programmes require no spoken-language comprehension at all.

How are exact festival dates decided each year?

Organisers confirm opening and closing dates a few months in advance, based on the availability of touring international companies, generally keeping the festival within a late-October-to-mid-November window.

Where can I buy tickets?

Tickets are sold through the box offices of the participating theatres and, for major performances, through online booking in advance, since popular shows sell out quickly.

What should I wear to a performance?

Smart casual dress is appropriate for most evenings; formal attire is only expected for premium gala nights such as the opening or closing events.

Is the festival suitable for children?

Some productions, particularly dance or family-oriented touring shows, are suitable for children, but programming varies year to year, so parents should check individual show descriptions before booking.

Can GIFT be combined with other Tbilisi events in October?

Yes. The festival’s autumn dates often overlap with Tbilisoba, the city’s municipal autumn festival, allowing visitors to experience both a folk-oriented civic celebration and an international performing-arts programme in one visit.

Does GTour arrange tickets or transport for the festival?

GTour can arrange a private driver or guide for festival evenings and help coordinate transport between venues, though ticket purchase for specific performances is generally handled directly through the theatres.

Sources

• Ministry of Culture, Sport and Youth of Georgia
• Georgian National Tourism Administration
• Tbilisi City Hall
• Agenda.ge
• Georgia Today
• Civil.ge