Naumburger Straßentheatertage

Three Days of Street Theatre in the Cathedral City on the Saale

When the historic Old Town of Naumburg (Saale) becomes a stage one weekend in May, the city in southern Saxony-Anhalt knows: it's Straßentheatertage time again. The Naumburger Straßentheatertage are among the most beautiful and surprising open-air festivals in the Burgenlandkreis — not only because they draw you right into the action from the first moment, but also because for years they have consistently maintained a concept that has become rare in Germany: top-class international street art with free admission, right in the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage city.

Between the Cathedral, Market Square, and Marienplatz

The performance venues are the Market Square with its Renaissance townhouses, the Marienplatz, and the shady City Park. The latter transforms into a fantasy garden with light and sound installations in the evening, where yoga sessions, long DJ sets, and acrobatics acts blend into one another. During the day, mime artists, stilt walkers, acrobats, and comedians entertain the crowds on the squares, while in the evening, the audience wanders between the stages, discovering a new performance around every corner.

International Companies as Guests

What makes the Straßentheatertage so special is the international selection of invited companies: Portuguese mime ensembles, French trapeze artists, Belgian mask artists, German circus troupes. Each year, there are around 60 to 70 program items on the schedule, some performances are German premieres, others return after several years of touring. The core brand: high artistic quality, no commercialism, no stage barriers — street theatre in the truest sense of the word.

Embedded in the Saale-Unstrut Weekend

The Straßentheatertage usually fall on the third weekend of May — precisely when the Saale-Unstrut region is in full spring bloom anyway. Visitors often combine the festival with a visit to the Naumburg Cathedral (UNESCO World Heritage), a wine tasting in Freyburg, or a hike along the Unstrut river. The city administration of Naumburg organizes the festival in cooperation with the Naumburg 2028 application office, which is putting the city forward as a European Capital of Culture.

Atmosphere and Audience

The atmosphere is both familiar and international. You'll meet regular Naumburg visitors, tourists from the Saale-Unstrut tourism catchment area, and theatre lovers from Leipzig, Halle, and Jena. Children run around in front of the mime artists, adults watch the trapeze act with bated breath. Those who have been here once almost always come back.