International Children's Theatre Festival at HELIOS Theater Hamm

International Children's Theatre Festival Hamm — Stage for Young Audiences

The International Children's Theatre Festival at HELIOS Theater Hamm is one of the most important stage events for young audiences in North Rhine-Westphalia. From October 10 to 14, 2026, the renowned independent children's and youth theatre will present ensembles from all over Europe for five days. From plays for toddlers (aged 1+) to kindergarten theatre and drama for older schoolchildren and teenagers — the festival offers an exceptionally broad spectrum.

International Ensembles

HELIOS Theater has maintained an international network for decades. Guest ensembles from the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, Scandinavia, Poland, and Great Britain are regularly represented at the festival. The plays are often performed in their original language with staged readings or without text — theatre for young audiences works internationally through images, body language, and music. This creates rare encounters for the children of Hamm with European theatre culture that would otherwise not be seen in the region.

HELIOS Theater — A Hamm Institution

HELIOS Theater Hamm was founded in 1989 and is one of the most distinguished independent theatres for young audiences in Germany. The theatre, housed in a converted power station near Maximilianpark, is small, intimate, and productive: numerous in-house productions annually, international guest performances, and festivals such as the Children's Theatre Festival or the "Hellwach" Festival. The team works closely with the city's schools and kindergartens and is regularly invited to perform nationally and internationally.

Programme and Target Audiences

The festival programme is sorted by age group: plays for ages 1+, 3+, 6+, 8+, and 12+. Morning performances are primarily aimed at school classes, while afternoons and evenings cater to families and professional visitors. Accompanying events include artist talks, a professional programme for theatre educators, teachers, and theatre makers, as well as workshops for young spectators.

Hamm — A Major City in Westphalia

With around 180,000 inhabitants, Hamm is one of the ten largest cities in Westphalia. It is known for Maximilianpark with its famous Glass Elephant, the Gustav Lübcke Museum, and indeed the HELIOS Theater. The city is conveniently located at the intersection of the A1 and A2 motorways, and the main train station offers ICE connections to Berlin, Hanover, Cologne, and Frankfurt. In 2026, Hamm will also celebrate its 800th anniversary of city rights, and the Children's Theatre Festival is part of this celebratory year.