Sri Lanka’s first ever dedicated performance arts center for tourists is to open on the banks of the historic Diyawanna Oya on the outskirts of Colombo next month. The state of the art Sri Dharanee Performance Theatre fills a huge vacuum in Sri Lanka’s cultural entertainment sector, where tourists will be treated to high quality performances of traditional Sri Lanka dance forms on a scheduled basis. Located in a scenic spot ideally suited to the arts, the massive facility has been constructed on the lines of similar attractions in cities such as Bangkok, Singapore, and Tokyo.
Tourism Development Minister John Amaratunga who was the Chief Guest at a media conference to announce the opening of the performance theatre, noted that it would help ‘place Sri Lanka’s tourism product offering on par with international standards’. Combined with the charm and scenic beauty of the historic Diyawanna Oya, the Waters’ Edge recreational complex, restaurants and adjacent shopping attractions, Sri Dharanee Performance Theatre will help create a tourism enclave in close proximity to Colombo.