Idaho Shakespeare Festival 2024

The Idaho Shakespeare Festival runs from late May through late September in the 770-seat state-of-the-art Festival Amphitheater & Reserve in Boise, Idaho. Each season, the festival stages five plays, including those by William Shakespeare and other contemporary and classical playwrights. The theatre​ shares a repertory cast with the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival in Nevada and the Great Lakes Theater Festival in Cleveland, Ohio. More than 100,000 visitors attend the festival every season.

The Idaho Shakespeare Festival Amphitheater and Habitat Reserve are surrounded by a natural reserve that is home to many water birds, herons, fox and deer. Visitors can enjoy picnics and delicious food from Café Shakespeare on the Boise River in the William Shakespeare Park. The free outdoor "Green Show" presents a mini-concert series on selected nights Wednesday through Saturday in the summer months preceding the mainstage performance, featuring various bands and performing artists.

2024 Plays

This year festival's program will feature such plays, as The Merry Wives of Windsor, Agatha Christie's Murder On Orient Express, Into The Woods, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Always... Patsy Cline.

2024 Music Lineup

Most Tuesday through Saturday evenings, from 6:30 to 7:30, and in September from 6 to 7 pm, a mini-concert series will take place on the Meadow Stage, featuring 8 Track Flashback, Ashley Rose Band, Boise Rock School: JetFuel, Flamenco Idaho, Leta Harris Neustaedter & The Soul Cats, Minor Paradox, Rebecca Scott Music, Swingin' with Ellie Shaw, and Sam Tru.

Tickets

Ticket prices range from about $30 to $60 on the lawn on weekdays. Organizers also offer ticket packages for those willing to attend a few performances.

Idaho Shakespeare Festival History

The Idaho Shakespeare Festival was founded in 1977; it employs about 200 artists, technicians, and other staff. Over the years, the repertoire of the festival has featured Twelfth Night and The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare, The Seagull by Anton Chekhov, The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens.