Schlossfestspiele Ribbeck 2026 — Ladies Night

Ladies Night — ganz oder gar nicht

The English comedy "Ladies Night — ganz oder gar nicht" by Stephen Sinclair and Anthony McCarten is one of the most frequently performed plays in German-speaking countries — and in the open-air adaptation by Schlossfestspiele Ribbeck, it will be the summer highlight of the Havelland region in 2026. The story: Six unemployed men from an industrial town decide to organize a strip show based on the model of The Full Monty — and in doing so, discover courage, friendship, and a new sense of self. A comedy with plenty of laughs and surprisingly much heart.

Ribbeck Castle — Fontane's Pear Tree

The venue is the baroque Ribbeck Castle in Ribbeck, Havelland, part of Nauen. The place became famous through Theodor Fontane's poem "Herr von Ribbeck auf Ribbeck im Havelland" — the story of the generous nobleman who gave pears from his garden to the village children and took a pear seed with him in his coffin, from which a new pear tree grew on his grave. This pear tree still exists today, and in the castle gardens — where the festival plays open-air in good weather — the play becomes part of this literary atmosphere.

Six Performances — Premiere on July 3rd

The 2026 festival offers six performances: Premiere on Friday, July 3rd at 7 p.m., followed by Saturday, July 4th (7 p.m.) and a matinee on Sunday, July 5th (3 p.m.). The second week of performances brings Friday, July 10th (7 p.m.), Saturday, July 11th (7 p.m.), and a matinee on Sunday, July 12th (3 p.m.). In case of bad weather, the performance will take place inside the castle rooms — open-air is the goal, but the Havelland region knows how to deal with rain in July.

Festival Format and Tickets

The Schlossfestspiele Ribbeck is a young, relatively small festival with great attention to detail. The stage is set up in the castle gardens, and the audience sits in about 300 seats directly in front of the castle backdrop. During intermissions, wine, beer, and small snacks are served by the castle restaurant. Tickets are exclusively available through Reservix — prices start at around €25, depending on the performance and seating category. For visitors from further afield, it's worthwhile to combine the visit with an overnight stay in the Havelland or a day trip to Nauen and the Spreewald.

Ribbeck Castle and Theodor Fontane

Ribbeck Castle, a baroque manor house from the late 18th century, is located in a small village about 60 km northwest of Berlin. The von Ribbeck family lived here since the Middle Ages — Theodor Fontane visited the place several times and immortalized it with his poem from 1889. Today, the castle is a museum, a venue, and a tourist attraction in the Havelland. The historic pear tree from the poem was blown over in a storm in the 18th century, but a new one was planted and still blooms every spring.