The absorption spectra of styrylbenzothiazolium dye derivatives were calculated by the time dependent density functional (TD DFT) method. The dyes of interest were (p dimethylamino)styrylbenzothiazolium dye and its protonated form as well as aza 15(18) crown 5(6) containing dyes and their complexes with alkali (K + and Na + ) and alkaline earth (Ca 2+ , Sr 2+ , and Ba 2+ ) cations. Several low lying conformers of the azacrown containing dyes were considered. The electronic and geometric structures of the excited states responsible for the appearance of the long wave (π-π*) absorption bands are studied. Complexation causes a hypsochromic shift of the long wave absorption band correlating with the pyramidality of the crown ether nitrogen in the complex. The interaction of the cation with 3-4 solvent molecules or a counterion (ClO 4 -) considerably reduces this shift, especially in the conformers without the metal-nitrogen bond. In some cases, the long wave absorption band is close to the absorption band of the free dye. Similar results were obtained using the polarizable continuum model of solvation. Excited state structures of the free model dye and the free azacrown containing dyes exhibit a tendency to bond alternation. Conversely, the cationic complexes of the crown containing dyes and the protonated model dye exhibit a tendency to bond equaliza tion in the excited state. The changes in the excited state geometries of the free dyes and their complexes account for the complexation induced fluorescence enhancement observed in the experiments.