BEYOND FUN — KulturRegionale 2026

KulturRegionale 2026 — Regional Cultural Festival with 43 Municipalities

The KulturRegionale is the flagship biennial project of KulturRegion Stuttgart e.V., an association of 43 cities and municipalities in the northern region of Baden-Württemberg surrounding the state capital. Every two years, the association selects a guiding theme and presents it across all member municipalities in the form of a decentralized festival. In 2026, the theme is: BEYOND FUN — Play in All Its Forms. From 19 September to 10 October 2026 (three weeks, four weekends), performances, installations, participatory activities, and discussions will revolve around the concept of play.

2026 Theme — Play Beyond Mere Entertainment

BEYOND FUN explores play not just as entertainment, but as a cultural, social, and political practice. Curators Laura Oppenhäuser (performer and festival organizer) and Nikola Durić (theatre co-founder and cultural curator) see the region as a "playing field": How have games and sports historically channelled social tensions into peaceful competition? How does this work in a time of crises, war, and political polarization? Activities range from mini-golf and football tournaments based on 1863 rules (the original Football Association rules), to AI installations and travelling video game libraries touring the municipalities.

43 Member Municipalities — Decentralized Festival Format

The festival is not held in one location but is spread across 43 member municipalities of the Stuttgart Cultural Region — from Stuttgart itself, through Esslingen, Ludwigsburg, Böblingen, Sindelfingen, to smaller municipalities in the Rems-Murr, Enz, and Ludwigsburg districts. Each municipality contributes its own events, curated by the Cultural Region. The diversity of venues — theatres, museums, public spaces, schools, churches, parks — makes BEYOND FUN one of the largest regional cultural festivals in Germany.

Curation — Laura Oppenhäuser and Nikola Durić

Laura Oppenhäuser is a performer and experienced festival organizer. Nikola Durić is a co-founder of a theatre collective and a cultural curator focusing on contemporary performance. Both bring a playful, contemporary, and politically reflective approach. Oppenhäuser emphasizes "a less tense way of playing" without a predetermined outcome. Durić describes games as "coping strategies" and generators of "political mindfulness" in challenging times.

KulturRegion Stuttgart — Association of 43 Municipalities

KulturRegion Stuttgart e.V. is an association where 43 cities and municipalities in the Stuttgart metropolitan region have joined forces to promote joint cultural projects. The KulturRegionale is the largest and most visible of these projects. Previous themes included "More Than Fair" (2024) and addressed socio-political issues.

Stuttgart — Capital of Baden-Württemberg as Festival Hub

Stuttgart (City District 08111, approx. 632,000 inhabitants) is the state capital of Baden-Württemberg and the economic and cultural centre of the region. The Stuttgart Cultural Region is headquartered in Stuttgart-West (Schlossstraße 70). However, the festival is present far beyond the city — you will experience BEYOND FUN in the countryside as well as in the big city.