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Theatertreffen

Key Visual Theatertreffen 2026

The 10 Most Remarkable Productions

International Forum, Discussions, Awards

Theatertreffen 2026

The next Theatertreffen will take place from 1 to 17 May 2026. The 10 most remarkable productions, selected by a jury of critics, will be announced in a press conference in January 2026. The programme schedule will be published in April.

International Forum

Open Call 2026

This Open Call for the International Forum is addressed at theatre makers at the beginning of their artistic careers who have already gathered some initial professional experience. They may be from all sectors of the performing arts, especially from the fields of directing, acting, set and costume design, dramaturgy, text production, music, video, performance, choreography and theatre education.

Around 30 artists from around the world will be invited to come to Berlin, to watch theatre together, to talk, to (re-)consider, to experiment and to make connections. The fellows will have the opportunity to attend the festival, to take part in intensive workshops with international artists, to reflect together the productions invited to Theatertreffen and theatre in general and to exchange ideas.

Deadline for applications: 30 November 2025 (23:59, CET)

To the Open Call

Theatertreffen-Blog

Open Call 2026

This Open Call of the Theatertreffen-Blog is aimed at aspiring arts journalists with a keen interest in the theatre who would like to attend and critically reflect the 2026 Theatertreffen.

More detailed information is planned for December.

Theatertreffen 2025

Impressions

  • Prize winner Anita Vulesica

    3sat-Preis 2025

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • The ensemble of “Double Serpent” accepts the applause.

    Ensemble “Double Serpent”, Staatstheater Wiesbaden

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Prize winner Carmen Steinert and juror Bettina Stucky pose with flowers and certificate

    Alfred-Kerr-Darstellerpreis 2025

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Audience listens to a speech.

    Alfred-Kerr-Darstellerpreis 2025

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • The ensemble shows their Theatertreffen-certificate.

    Artists’ accolade “Bernarda Albas Haus”

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • The ensemble of “Blutbuch” accepts the applause.

    Ensemble “Blutbuch”, Theater Magdeburg

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • A large group of people applaud the ensemble.

    Artists’ accolade “Blutbuch”

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • The audience waits for admission to the performance in front of the Haus der Berliner Festspiele.

    Theatertreffen 2025

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • The ensemble of “Die Gewehre der Frau Carrar / Würgendes Blei” accepts the applause.

    Ensemble “Die Gewehre der Frau Carrar / Würgendes Blei”, Residenztheater / Bayerisches Staatsschauspiel, München

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Nora Hertlein-Hull presents director Luise Voigt with the Theatertreffen-certificate. The ensemble is in the background.

    Artists’ accolade “Die Gewehre der Frau Carrar / Würgendes Blei”

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • The ensemble of “Die Maschine oder: Über allen Gipfeln ist Ruh” accepts the applause.

    Ensemble “Die Maschine oder: Über allen Gipfeln ist Ruh”, Deutsches SchauSpielHaus Hamburg

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Nora Hertlein-Hull speaking in a microphone

    Nora Hertlein-Hull

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Amitesh Grover stands next to a screen onto which a Zoom video call is projected.

    “Zoom Out: A Surreal Snapshot of the World”, Amitesh Grover

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • People with VR glasses

    “[EOL]. End of Life. Eine virtuelle Ruinenlandschaft”, DARUM and brut Wien

    © Berliner Festspiele, Foto: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Nora Hertlein-Hull presents DARUM with the Theatertreffen-certificate. The artistic team is in the background.

    Artists’ accolade “[EOL]. End of Life”

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • A group of people sit in a circle on the floor and talk to each other.

    Internationales Forum 2025

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • A group of people stand in a circle in front of the Uferstudios.

    Internationales Forum 2025

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Matthias Pees presents Fabian Hinrichs with the Theatertreffen-certificate. The ensemble is in the background.

    Artists’ accolade “ja nichts ist ok”

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • The jury members talking on stage.

    Concluding Jury Discussion 2025

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • The ensemble of “Kontakthof – Echoes of ’78” accepts the applause.

    Ensemble “Kontakthof – Echoes of ’78”, Sadler’s Wells, Pina Bausch Foundation, Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Meryl Tankard shows their Theatertreffen-certificate. The ensemble is in the background.

    Artists' accolade “Kontakthof – Echoes of ’78”

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • A performer on stage with his hands outstretched towards the camera.

    “Made in China 2.0”, Wang Chong

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Two people talking.

    Panel “Narrowing Spaces – Artistic Answers to Political Pressure”

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Standing ovations as the ensemble receives the applause

    “SANCTA”, Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Nora Hertlein-Hull presents director Florentina Holzinger with the Theatertreffen-certificate. The ensemble is in the background.

    Artists’ accolade “SANCTA”

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Two people on all fours with naked upper bodies lying partly on top of each other.

    “Something is Approaching”, Carolina Mendonça

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Christopher Rüping receives the theatre prize.

    Theaterpreis Berlin 2025

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • A person in a long white dress dances in the spotlight on a stage.

    Theatertreffen party with Drag Show

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • A person with headphones over a mixing console

    Theatertreffen party

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Two people talking

    Panel “And Now? Strategies and Alliances Against the Great Cultural Depression”

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • The ensemble of “Unser Deutschlandmärchen” accepts the applause.

    Ensemble “Unser Deutschlandmärchen”, Maxim Gorki Theater

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Two performers sit at a coffee table surrounded by the audience.

    “Wanaset Yodit”, Laila Soliman

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Three people sit next to each other at tables, water bottles and microphones in front of them.

    Reading “Text, Tisch, Wasserglas II”

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

At a Glance

About Theatertreffen

Every year, a jury of critics selects the 10 most remarkable productions from up to 600 productions from the German-language region to be presented in Berlin in May.

Read more

In the Media Library

A woman listens at a bright yellow wall behind which a bride is being dressed.

Bernarda Albas Haus

© Thomas Aurin

3sat “Starke Stücke”

Missed the performance? No worries: the recordings of “Bernarda Albas Haus”, “Die Gewehre der Frau Carrar / Würgendes Blei”, “Double Serpent” and “Unser Deutschlandmärchen” – the four 2025 “Starke Stücke” of 3sat – will be accessible in the 3sat Media Library and the Berliner Festspiele Media Library until 2 May 2026.

To the Media Library

A Female Quota of 50 %

With its 2020 festival edition, the Theatertreffen introduced a female quota of at least 50 percent in the direction position for the ten most remarkable productions. The jury and the festival’s directors have agreed to extend this rule for another year, up to and including the 2026 festival.

More Berliner Festspiele