Düsseldorf Festival

The Stage for Performing Arts in Düsseldorf

Since the early 1990s, the Düsseldorf Festival has been one of the most prominent festivals for the performing arts in North Rhine-Westphalia. From September 16 to October 4, 2026, the state capital's Old Town will become a stage for approximately three weeks of international premieres and guest performances in the fields of dance, theatre, contemporary circus, and world music. Artistic directors Christiane Oxenfort and Andreas Dahmen curate a programme that brings top-class international companies to Düsseldorf — many of them with German premieres or first performances outside the festival metropolises.

Opening with Mourad Merzouki and "Pixel"

The festival opens from September 16 to 19, 2026, in the theatre tent at Burgplatz with "Pixel" by Compagnie Käfig, directed by Mourad Merzouki. The piece combines hip-hop dance with digital image projection — dancers interact with projected pixels that deform, flow, and dissolve in real-time. Since its premiere in 2014, "Pixel" has been performed over 600 times worldwide and is considered a milestone in the connection between dance and new media.

Sharon Eyal, Hofesh Shechter, Circa, Gravity & Other Myths

The focus of the 2026 programme includes several international dance and circus companies:

• Hofesh Shechter II ("In The Brain", 22–23.09.) — the junior company of the Israeli-British choreographer
• Below Zero ("In Praise of Shadows", 24–25.09.) — Swedish company, German premiere
• Sharon Eyal Dance / S-E-D ("Delay the Sadness", 28–30.09.) — the Israeli choreographer with her highly acclaimed new work
• Circa ("Eternity", 30.09–03.10. in St. Antoniuskirche) — Australian contemporary circus
• Gravity & Other Myths ("Ten Thousand Hours", 01–03.10.) — highlight of the Australian Special

Music: Nubya Garcia, Katie Melua, Oum

The musical programme ranges from jazz and singer-songwriter to Moroccan world music:

• Lyyra ("Rising", 19.09. in St. Johanniskirche)
• Nubya Garcia ("Odyssey", 20.09. in the theatre tent) — the British saxophonist and voice of the London jazz revival
• Oum ("Dialddar", 27.09.) — Moroccan singer
• Mehdi Nassouli & Marmoucha Orchestra ("Sonic Bridges", 04.10.) — closing act

Theatre Tent at Burgplatz

For years, the main venue has been the Theatre Tent at Burgplatz — a specially erected festival structure directly on the Rhine, against the backdrop of the historic castle tower. With around 600 seats, the tent creates a concentrated, intimate atmosphere where choreographers particularly enjoy working. In addition, the St. Antoniuskirche (Friedrichstadt) and St. Johanniskirche (Stadtmitte) are used as venues — the latter also in December for the family project "Christmas Tale".

A Festival with a Long Tradition

Founded in 1991, the Düsseldorf Festival has developed over three decades into a magnet for the international choreographic and theatre scene. Companies such as DV8, Pina Bausch Tanztheater, and Cirque du Soleil have performed here. Today, the festival is one of the most important showcases for contemporary dance, new circus, and experimental music theatre in the Rhine-Ruhr region.