plattform-Festival

Theatre for the Youth Generation

Since 2003, the plattform-Festival has been an integral part of the Hamburg theatre calendar. At the Ernst Deutsch Theater — one of Northern Germany's most important private theatres — pieces created exclusively by and with young people are shown for a week. The festival creates a space for a generation that is often not the focus of the professional theatre scene.

Concept and Method

Young ensembles, the Bundesjugendballett by John Neumeier, and the theatre house develop their own pieces on a common annual theme. The premieres then run during the festival — for audiences of school classes, parents, theatre professionals, and the broader Hamburg theatre scene. Supporting program: stage tours, acting workshops, networking opportunities, and a concluding karaoke party.

Theme 2026 — Secrets

The annual theme for 2026 is "Secrets". Main program: "Aus dem Nebel" (Young Ensemble — how secrets connect and divide), Bundesjugendballett cooperation, "Gegen den Strom" (Theatre evening with various performances on biography and abstraction), and "Ans Licht" (Large youth project based on "Über den Dächern von Jerusalem" by Anja Reumschüssel).

Accessible Theatre

The Ernst Deutsch Theater is accessible (entrance Birkenau, disabled parking spaces, 2 wheelchair spaces in the auditorium), offers individual hearing support with various technologies, and regular performances with sign language interpreters. District: Uhlenhorst, Hamburg-Nord borough.