MICRO!FESTIVAL Dortmund

MICRO!FESTIVAL — the most unusual city stage

Since 1994, MICRO!FESTIVAL has been one of Germany's most distinctive festivals. Unlike pure music or theatre festivals, it combines international street theatre, global sounds, new circus, and acrobatics into a two-day city festival that deliberately takes place decentrally and "Free & Outdoors". The next edition will run from August 7th to 8th, 2026, in Dortmund's city center.

New Rhythm from 2026 — Biennial

In 2026, the festival will switch to a biennial rhythm. The city's reasoning: the more intensive programme preparation over two years allows for more ambitious productions. This makes the 2026 edition the first biennial event — the next will follow in 2028.

Programme — Street Theatre, World Sound, Circus

The MICRO!FESTIVAL traditionally brings together:

• International Street Theatre — Troupes from France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, and Scandinavia present performances, theatre in public spaces, and site-specific productions
• New Circus — Contemporary circus featuring acrobatics, aerial arts, juggling, and dance
• Global Sounds — World music from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe
• Walk-Acts and site-specific actions — Artist performances in squares, street corners, and building entrances

The complete 2026 programme will be published in May/June via the official website.

"Free & Outdoors" — the Concept

The motto "Free & Outdoors" is programmatic: all performances are free of charge and take place in the public urban space — in squares, pedestrian zones, and city meeting points. The festival thus positions itself as a deliberately accessible cultural format that leaves the traditional theatre hall behind and turns the city itself into a stage.

Dortmund — Venue in Open Space

Dortmund's city center (an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia) offers diverse stages with squares like Friedensplatz, Alter Markt, Hansaplatz, and the pedestrian zone. Artists explore these spaces in the weeks leading up to the festival and develop targeted site-specific productions — typical for the genre of urban theatre.

30 Years of Festival History

With its premiere in 1994, the MICRO!FESTIVAL is one of the oldest urban theatre festivals in the Ruhr region. Conceived by the Dortmund Cultural Office, it is part of the city's programming tradition, which actively expands Dortmund's cultural heritage after the structural changes.