Schlosspark-Festspiele Bad Lobenstein

Theatre under the Open Sky

In the castle park by the New Castle in Bad Lobenstein, an open-air theatre experience is created every September that is rare in its form: the Schlosspark-Festspiele. The festival sees itself as a "cheerful theatre project" of the town in the Saale-Orla district — free from the claim of dramatic depth, but with all the more joy of performance, pace, and wit.

Directed by Daniel Leistner

The artistic director of the festival is Daniel Leistner, who also heads the Faust-Festspiele. His credo: "Theatre must be like cinema." All his productions have the length of feature films, are fast-cut, entertaining, and engaging. The stage is exclusively occupied by amateur actors from the region — men and women from Bad Lobenstein and the surrounding area who prepare for their roles over months. This creates a special connection between the play and the town.

Comedy Classics on the Castle Hill

The repertoire includes the world's most famous comedies — from Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Nestroy, and Molière to legendary farces and operetta classics like 'Charley's Aunt' or 'Im weißen Rössl'. Leistner focuses on "understandable, popular, and enormously entertaining versions" — comedy material from world theatre, translated for an audience that wants to experience a balmy summer evening in Thuringia.

Setting: The New Castle

The venue is the castle park directly in front of the New Castle of Bad Lobenstein. The historic backdrop, the spacious park, and the evening illumination make the festival one of the most beautiful open-air events in Eastern Thuringia's festival calendar. Afterwards, the experience can be rounded off with a stroll through the spa gardens or a glass of wine in the castle's gastronomy area.