PopUp Theatre Days — Junge Bühne Mainz No. 8
8th PopUp Theatre Days for Young Acting on the M8 Stage under the motto DEMOkratie DEMOnstration
About PopUp Theatre Days JBM #8
Junge Bühne Mainz has established itself as a fixture in Mainz's theatre scene in recent years. It offers young actors, directors, set designers, dramatists, and performers a venue, rehearsal conditions, and an audience. The focus is on the idea of not understanding young theatre as didactic talent development, but as an independent artistic practice.
The PopUp Theatre Days are the annual festival format in which Junge Bühne presents its work to the Mainz public. Over three weeks, productions developed during the season will be shown, alongside guest performances by friendly ensembles, workshop formats, and late-night discussions. The venue is the M8 stage at Mitternachtsgasse 8, not far from Mainz Cathedral — an intimate stage with immediate proximity between audience and performance.
The motto of the eighth edition in 2026, DEMOkratie DEMOnstration, is programmatic. It bundles a generation's theatrical engagement with democracy as a practice that is simultaneously fragile, endangered, but also constantly fought for. Plays are expected that deal with political activism, citizen protests, identity debates, and the question of the relationship between stage and street — performed by a generation that grew up with climate, climate strike, BLM, and MeToo movements, and for whom theatrical means and political mobilization inform each other.
The PopUp Theatre Days are an invitation to a young, curious Mainz audience to discover theatre in a small format that cannot be seen in the state theatre — and to everyone who understands theatre as a workshop of the present.
PopUp Theatre Days JBM #8 — edition 2026
The complete 2026 program will be published by Junge Bühne Mainz in the spring. The structure follows the proven cornerstones of previous years: three weeks with several performances per week (Thursday to Sunday), an embedded opening with a thematic keynote speech on the motto DEMOkratie DEMOnstration, workshop formats for schools and young adults, invited guest performances by young ensembles from German-speaking countries, audience discussions after the performances, and a closing event with a festival review and outlook on the coming season.
Programme PopUp Theatre Days JBM #8 2026
Program Structure 2026
Opening Wednesday, June 3
- Opening evening with thematic speech and first production
- Reception in the foyer of the M8 stage
Weekend Playing Blocks
- Own productions by Junge Bühne Mainz
- Guest performances by young ensembles from German-speaking countries
- Workshop and lecture-performance formats
- Audience discussions afterwards
Accompanying Program
- Workshop offerings for schools and young adults
- Discussion rounds on political theatre
- Late-night formats in the foyer
Closing Wednesday, June 24
- Last performance with festival audience
- Review and outlook on the coming season
Highlights PopUp Theatre Days JBM #8 2026
- 8th edition in Mainz city center
- Motto DEMOkratie DEMOnstration
- Three weeks of programming on the M8 stage
- Young acting between own productions and guest performances
- Audience discussions and workshop formats
Prices PopUp Theatre Days JBM #8 2026
Practical information — PopUp Theatre Days JBM #8
Venue
M8-Bühne, Mitternachtsgasse 8, 55116 Mainz — not far from St. Martin's Cathedral in the heart of the Old Town.
Getting There
Approximately a 12-minute walk from the main train station through the city center. By bus and tram directly to Höfchen or Schillerplatz. Limited parking capacity, public transport recommended.
Tickets
Tickets for individual performances and festival passes are available via the Junge Bühne website or at the box office. Student and pupil discounts are offered.
Program Schedule
The program will be announced continuously via the festival website and the channels of Junge Bühne Mainz.
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