Festival of Cuban Salsa with Workshops and Live Percussion — 6–8 November 2026
The CubaJena Festival — officially «Festival de Salsa Cubana» — is a dance festival celebrating the full diversity of Cuban dance forms: Casino, Rueda de Casino, Son, Rueda de Son, Timba, and Cha-Cha-Chá. The festival is organized by Jenaer Tanzhaus e.V., one of the most active dance clubs in Central Germany. Over three days, workshops, parties, and live percussion sessions are offered.
Four experienced dance couples lead the workshop program: Izabella & Mahmoud (known for precise Rueda formations at European festivals), Helen & Yago (Punto Cubano Berlin, focusing on musicality and authentic cultural expression), Janine & Heiko (combining Salsa Cubana and percussion knowledge), and Kathleen & Norman (elegant Son Cubano with a focus on authentic couple connection).
The workshops are organized into thematic blocks (Casino, Son, Rueda de Casino, Rueda de Son) that build on each other didactically. This allows for a coherent learning experience, rather than a random jump-around workshop program. Friday is dedicated to reception and the opening workshop, Saturday offers solo technique and block workshops during the day and the KuBuS party in the evening, and Sunday concludes with lectures, advanced workshops, and the closing dance party.
The venue is the KuBuS at Theobald-Renner-Straße 1a in Jena-Lobeda — a modern event location that combines the festival center with large dance floors, a stage for live percussion, and workshop rooms. Jena, the second-largest city in Thuringia (around 110,000 inhabitants) in the Saale Valley, is a university city with an active student and dance-loving scene.
The CubaJena Festival 2026 takes place from Friday, 6 November to Sunday, 8 November 2026 at KuBuS in Jena-Lobeda. The program is structured over three days: Friday as check-in and opening day, Saturday as the central dance day with solo technique and block workshops as well as the big KuBuS party, and Sunday as the conclusion with lectures, advanced workshops, and the final dance party.
Four dance couples lead the workshop program: Izabella & Mahmoud, Helen & Yago (Punto Cubano Berlin), Janine & Heiko, and Kathleen & Norman. Each couple brings a different focus — from Rueda formations to musicality and Son, to percussion and Casino. The workshops are organized into didactically progressive blocks.
Current program and festival passes: cubajena.de. Organizer: tanzhaus-jena.de.
Festival passes and individual day tickets via the official website cubajena.de. Prices vary depending on the pass option (Full Pass, Weekend Pass, Day Pass).
Friday, 6 November to Sunday, 8 November 2026.
KuBuS, Theobald-Renner-Straße 1a, 07747 Jena (Jena-Lobeda).
Festival passes via the official website cubajena.de. Day tickets subject to availability.
By car: A4 or A9 to Jena, exit Jena-Lobeda. By public transport: Jena Paradies station (15 min), then tram or bus to Jena-Lobeda.
The festival is suitable for both beginners and advanced dancers (different levels in the workshop blocks). Anyone wanting to learn or deepen their knowledge of Latin dance will find one of the most concentrated learning opportunities in Central Germany here.
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KuBuS Jena (Jena-Lobeda)
Theobald-Renner-Straße 1a, 07747 Jena