Azamara Cruises has announced the addition of 35 new AzAmazing Evenings for 2026, broadening its renowned collection of on-shore cultural experiences held after dark. Introduced in 2011, the AzAmazing Evenings series has become a defining element of the small-ship line’s “Destination Immersion” philosophy—an approach built around longer port stays and late-night departures that allow travellers to experience destinations at an unhurried and authentic pace.
The new programme follows the earlier launch of Azamara’s “Destination Immersion Elevated” initiative, which added more than 3,500 shore excursions to the company’s global portfolio. The 2026 expansion will extend across every region the line visits, from Japan’s temple towns to Africa’s coastal savannas. Among the most notable experiences are a lumberjack festival in Alaska, acrobatic performances in Shanghai, and a candlelit choir concert in Gibraltar’s St Michael’s Cave.
From 2026 onward, most voyages of nine nights or longer will include an AzAmazing Evening ashore, while selected 7- and 8-night sailings will host onboard celebrations. Azamara’s Chief Executive Officer, Dondra Ritzenthaler, remarked that the line’s extended port hours provide distinctive opportunities for guests to experience destinations after sunset, and that the 2026 AzAmazing Evenings are designed to deepen connections with local culture, people, and traditions.
The upcoming highlights include a performance by Orquesta de Mates y Bambúes Macolla at Guayaquil’s restored Palacio de Cristal, blending indigenous instruments with coastal dance; a Hiroshima Kagura performance in Japan featuring the Yamata-no-Orochi myth and Mihara Yassa Festival dances; and a nocturnal exploration of Mombasa’s Fort Jesus Museum illuminated by projections, music, holograms, and fireworks. Guests sailing to Gibraltar will attend a candlelit concert by the Gibraltar Youth Choir and an 18-piece string ensemble in St Michael’s Cave, while those visiting Helsinki will experience Finnish music at the Helsinki Music Centre, led by organist Miikka Kallio and producer Vesa Ruotonen. Other destinations include Ketchikan, Alaska, where travellers will witness traditional Tlingit dancing and lumberjack competitions, and Shanghai, where passengers will attend a cultural performance combining acrobatics, folk music, and dance at the Shanghai Centre Theatre.
Complementing these events, Azamara will debut “Stories Under the Stars,” a new series featured on sailings exceeding 9 nights. This programme will invite local speakers to share regional myths and folklore on deck, accompanied by desserts inspired by s’mores and chocolate-based cocktails, offering guests another opportunity to engage with maritime cultures beneath the evening sky.