Kandyan Dance Performance

Evening Kandyan dance performances are held nightly at several venues near the lake, the most established being the YMBA Hall and the Kandyan Art Association auditorium. The show includes Kandyan dance (with its distinctive tall headdresses and rapid footwork), low-country dances from the coastal regions, Sabaragamuwa dances from the hill country, and a fire-walking finale.

The performances are unashamedly tourist-oriented and none the worse for it — the drumming is genuinely impressive and the costumes are spectacular. Shows typically start at 5pm and last ninety minutes. Book through your guesthouse or directly at the venue; prices are reasonable.

things to do sight
A story
Kandyan dance was originally a ritual exorcism ceremony called kohomba kankariya, performed to cure the king of disease. The frenzied drumming and acrobatic leaping was meant to appease the gods rather than entertain an audience. The tourist performance versions retain the spectacular costumes and percussion — the drums used, particularly the geta beraya, are among the most complex in the world — but compress an all-night ceremony into a 90-minute show.