Rosenberg Festspiele Kronach

Open-air theatre at one of Germany's most important fortresses

The Rosenberg Festspiele are the summer open-air theatre festival of the town of Kronach in Upper Franconia (Bavaria). The venue is the Festung Rosenberg, one of the largest and best-preserved fortress complexes in Germany – a landmark above the half-timbered town of Kronach, widely known as the birthplace of the Renaissance painter Lucas Cranach the Elder.

Three plays in rotation

The 2026 season features three main productions on the fortress's open-air stage:

• Die kleine Hexe (The Little Witch) – Children's play based on Otfried Preußler, premiere May 10, 2026
• Ernst sein ist alles (The Importance of Being Earnest) – Comedy by Oscar Wilde, premiere June 24, 2026
• Der Prozess (The Trial) – Drama based on Franz Kafka, premiere July 15, 2026

The productions use the fortress's walls, ramparts, and courtyards as a playful backdrop – a hallmark of the Rosenberg Festspiele.

Special Programme – Six Pack and Nosferatu 2.0

In addition to the theatre productions, there is a special programme:

• Six Pack – the a cappella comedy show: the renowned German a cappella ensemble in the fortress setting
• Nosferatu 2.0 by Klangfeder: a sound and light experience as an experimental crossover format

Freilicht Theater Dreieck Oberfranken

The Rosenberg Festspiele are part of the „Freilicht Theater Dreieck Oberfranken" (Open-Air Theatre Triangle Upper Franconia), a collaboration with the Luisenburg-Festspiele (Wunsiedel) and the Naturbühne Trebgast. Together, the three stages put Upper Franconia on the German open-air theatre map and offer a coordinated summer programme.

Kronach and the Rosenberg Fortress

Kronach, with around 17,000 inhabitants, is the district capital of the Kronach district in Upper Franconia (Bavaria). The historic old town with its half-timbered houses and the Rosenberg Fortress form a double tourist highlight in the Frankenwald region. The fortress also houses the Bavarian National Museum's Franconian Gallery branch, featuring works by Lucas Cranach.