OUTNOW! — International Performing Arts Festival

A Springboard for the Performing Arts

OUTNOW! is not a festival of established names — it is the stage for those who are coming. Since its founding in 1994 as a springboard by the then Junge Theater Bremen, the festival has been dedicated exclusively to female artists, groups, and collectives at the beginning of their professional careers. Since 2013, Schwankhalle and Theater Bremen have jointly organized the international festival. From May 21 to 25, 2026, OUTNOW! returns — by its own definition, poetic, political, and glamorous.

Performance, Dance, Theatre, Music Theatre

The focus is on performance, theatre, dance, and music theatre, supplemented by works from adjacent disciplines such as media and visual arts with a performative connection. The 2026 lineup includes Ametonyo Silva, Farhan Sonboldel, Kemelo Nozipho Sehlapelo, Soroa Lear, Sandyatemyheart, Benjamin Truong, and Tamira Kalmbach and Team, among others. Beyond the actual performances, workshops, audio walks, lectures, and a concluding breakfast shape the program — OUTNOW! also sees itself as a laboratory and meeting space for an international scene in transition.

Two Venues, One Festival

Performances take place at two locations: in the Schwankhalle in the Neustadt district and at Theater Bremen on Goetheplatz. The close cooperation between the two institutions gives the festival its special profile — a free, experimental venue and a large city theatre combine their strengths for artistic talent.

Rooted in Bremen's Westend

With the Schwankhalle in Neustadt and Theater Bremen in the city centre, OUTNOW! is firmly rooted in the Hanseatic cultural landscape. Bremen has always cultivated a vibrant independent scene — OUTNOW! is its most important catalyst for the next generation.