Lausitz Festival – Rödersaal Venue Großröhrsdorf

A Grand Festival, a Small Stage

Since its founding in 2020, the Lausitz Festival has become one of the most important cultural destinations in the East. From August 25th to September 13th, 2026, it will occupy more than a dozen venues throughout the Lausitz region – from Görlitz to Cottbus, Weißwasser, and Forst, to Zittau and Herrnhut. One of these venues is the traditional Rödersaal in Großröhrsdorf, a small town in the Bautzen district that owes its name to centuries of ribbon weaving.

Christoph Marthaler at the Rödersaal

On three evenings – September 10th, 11th, and 12th, 2026 – a production directed by Swiss theatre maker Christoph Marthaler will be presented each evening at 7:30 PM. Marthaler is considered one of the most influential directors in German-language theatre; his musical and scenic evenings blend acting, singing, and absurd humour. The fact that one of his productions is premiering in a provincial hall in Saxony is programmatic: the Lausitz Festival consciously aims for a dialogue between world-class art and the region.

Europe's Art Festival in the Lausitz

The festival, whose home base is the Görlitz Festival Centre on Obermarkt, combines theatre, music theatre, chamber orchestras (including the Kammerorchester Basel), vocal ensembles (including the Tenebrae Choir), jazz concerts in the Brikettfabrik Louise, as well as readings, philosophical discussions, and exhibitions of contemporary art. With the 2026 edition, a new art prize will also be introduced, with a specially composed musical piece dedicated to each award ceremony.

Großröhrsdorf and its Ribbon-Weaving History

Großröhrsdorf is known as the "Ribbon-Weaving Town" and boasts a textile tradition dating back to the 17th century. The Rödersaal was once the meeting place for the weavers' guilds and is now the town's central cultural venue. Visitors attending the festival here will experience not only top-tier art but also a piece of living industrial culture from the Upper Lusatia region.