SPIELSTARK — Children's and Youth Theatre Festival

A Festival with Ambition and Reach

The SPIELSTARK festival was initiated in 2003 by Theater überzwerg in Saarbrücken and has since become the most important platform for children's and youth theatre in Saarland. 2026 marks the 24th edition — proof of how sustainably the format has established itself. The festival is organized in cooperation with the town of Ottweiler and the European City of Saarlouis, with support from the Saarland's Minister of Culture, Christine Streichert-Clivot.

Format and Concept

The focus is on nine productions, shown over the course of a festival week at two main venues:

• Schlosstheater Ottweiler — a small baroque gem with an intimate atmosphere
• Theater am Ring Saarlouis — a modern venue with stage technology for more elaborate productions

The selected plays are curated by a jury and cover the entire age range — from children's theatre for ages 4 and up to sophisticated youth plays for ages 14 and up.

Invited Ensembles 2026

The 2026 selection brings together leading children's and youth theatre companies from Germany and Austria:

• Theater Morgenroth & Schwester (Nuremberg)
• Theater Marabu (Bonn)
• Landesbühnen Sachsen (Radebeul)
• theaterkohlenpott (Herne)
• Theaterhaus Ensemble Frankfurt
• Follow the Rabbit (Graz, Austria)
• In-house productions by Theater überzwerg

Theatre Prize and Supporting Programme

A highlight of every festival is the awarding of the Theatre Prize, endowed with 1,000 euros for the best production. A professional jury selects the most award-worthy performance at the end of the festival. The festival also offers a rich supporting programme:

• Workshops for children and teenagers on acting, masks, and stage design
• Readings from current children's and youth books
• Treasure hunts through Ottweiler and Saarlouis
• Literary discussions with authors
• Street theatre in the city centres of both locations

Theater überzwerg as the Organizer

Behind SPIELSTARK is Theater überzwerg in Saarbrücken — one of the most important independent stages in Saarland, specializing in children's and youth theatre. The theatre at Kästnerplatz in the St. Johann district of Saarbrücken produces its own shows year-round and performs with the festival in partner cities.

Saarland Theatre between Ottweiler and Saarlouis

The choice of Ottweiler in the Neunkirchen district and Saarlouis as festival locations is programmatic: instead of staying solely in the state capital, SPIELSTARK brings top-tier theatre to the medium-sized towns of Saarland — making sophisticated children's theatre accessible to families who would otherwise rarely have the opportunity to enjoy it.