Germany's largest international theatre festival comes to Chemnitz in 2026

Germany's largest international theatre festival THEATER DER WELT will take place in Chemnitz in 2026 - under the joint sponsorship of Theater Chemnitz, The Festival Academy from Brussels and the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 GmbH.

On the occasion of her visit to the current Theatre of the World 2023 in Frankfurt and Offenbach, Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth and ITI President Yvonne Büdenhölzer presented the next edition of the Theatre of the World 2023 on Tuesday, 11 July. July 2023, the next edition of the festival to the director of the Chemnitz theatres Christoph Dittrich and the Mayor of Chemnitz for Culture Dagmar Ruscheinsky.

"Theatre of the World brings an internationally significant event of the theatre scene to Chemnitz. Theatre of the World stands for diversity and openness, for different influences and forms of expression, which is not only enriching for the performing arts, but also for social interaction. In 2026, Theatre of the World can draw on the networks and infrastructure that Chemnitz has built up as European Capital of Culture 2025. In this way, Chemnitz can give the festival and the Chemnitz Festival new impetus. I wish the team in Chemnitz every success," said Claudia Roth, addressing the Chemnitz team.

Initiated by the International Theatre Institute - Centre Germany (ITI) at the end of the 1970s, the festival has been held in a different German city every three years since then. It is regarded as one of the most important events on the international theatre scene and is a showcase for current aesthetic developments in the performing arts worldwide.

The board of the International Theatre Institute unanimously approved the awarding of the 17th edition to Saxony following an application process. After Hamburg 2017, Düsseldorf 2021 and Offenbach-Frankfurt 2023, the festival is now returning to Saxony after exactly 30 years since the 1996 edition in Dresden.

Since winning the title of European Capital of Culture 2025 three years ago, the city of Chemnitz has continuously focussed on firmly anchoring art and culture in its many facets in the city's society. With the Theatre of the World festival immediately following the title year, Chemnitz remains at the centre of international attention and at the same time lays another important foundation stone for a lasting after-effect of the Capital of Culture process for the people in the city and in the cultural region.

"The concept of Chemnitz Theatre, the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 GmbH and The Festival Academy from Brussels combines national and global cultural management and curating resources in a sustainable and convincing way. The Board is finally awarding the festival to an East German city once again," said Yvonne Büdenhölzer, President of the German ITI Centre, explaining the decision.

Theatre Chemnitz, The Festival Academy from Brussels and the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 GmbH will jointly support the festival and realise it together. For the first time in the history of THEATER DER WELT, a municipal theatre with all five disciplines will lead the bid together with an internationally renowned cultural management from Belgium with the support of a European Capital of Culture organisation.

The Festival Directorate, consisting of the General Director of Chemnitz Theatres Christoph Dittrich, Inge Ceustermans, General Director of the NGO The Festival Academy Brussels and Stefan Schmidtke, Managing Director Programme of the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 GmbH, is preparing to set up an international team of curators. This team, consisting of curators from all continents, will be responsible for the content and artistic design of the programme.

Partnership, equality, sustainability, interdisciplinarity and digitality will form the basis for the development and constellation of this national and international team. The overall management sees itself as a "global, artistic and organisational team".

The Festival Academy Brussels is part of the cultural capacity building in the Bid Book II of the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025, successfully developing a Capital of Culture initiative even before the Capital of Culture year and visibly extending beyond it with a lasting international and regional impact.

Director of Chemnitz Theatre Christoph Dittrich:

"The reality of life in the city of Chemnitz is full of intense expectations, the diverse process of change is tangible on a daily basis. With the international festival, the people of the city and the theatre are gaining an extension of the experiences of the Capital of Culture 2025. We are looking forward to a wide-ranging programme of international art that can open up the world view with creative power and at the same time strengthen the self-confident regional repositioning."

Saxon State Minister for Culture and Tourism Barbara Klepsch:

"I am delighted that Germany's most important international festival for theatre arts will be a guest in Saxony for the second time in its history. This is a tribute to the many years of successful work by one of Germany's major municipal theatre companies, Chemnitz Theatres, and a great success for the developing appeal of the Capital of Culture Chemnitz. The festival also demonstrates the sustainability of the Capital of Culture for Chemnitz beyond 2025."

Lord Mayor Sven Schulze:

"The people of Chemnitz are hospitable and cosmopolitan. We are proud to be able to welcome artists from all over the world to our city in 2026. The developments triggered by the Capital of Culture process point to continuity. We see that work in cultural development pays off through recognition. We are looking forward to a great theatre festival."