TANZ! Heilbronn

TANZ! Heilbronn — Fifteen Years, Sixteen Editions

The TANZ! festival at Theater Heilbronn was launched in 2011 with the idea of showcasing international contemporary dance in a region otherwise dominated by the Stuttgart Ballet. The curatorial line has solidified over the years: not classical, not ballet, but contemporary dance in all its breadth — choreography as the language of the contemporary body. 2026 marks the 16th edition — and it is the last: the festival will not continue in this form.

What You'll Experience

Five days of dance theatre on the stages of Theater Heilbronn and the city's venues. Seven productions from six countries, with one or two performances each evening. The program is dense — those who book a festival package will see the entire spectrum: hip-hop theatre from Great Britain, Finnish dance theatre, Spanish-Greek co-productions, a choreographic solo from the Netherlands, monumental group choreographies by the company L-E-V.

The Curator — Canan Erek

Canan Erek curates the festival with a keen sense for trends and generations — established stars alternate with emerging voices. The curatorial signature combines political awareness with aesthetic clarity, without the festival ever becoming didactic. It is precisely this mix that has earned TANZ! Heilbronn supra-regional recognition.

Program 2026 — The Final Five Days

Opening Tuesday, June 9, with BLKDOG by Far From The Norm (GB) — award-winning hip-hop dance theatre by Botis Seva. Further highlights: Tempo (Nio, Melo & Salmenniemi/FI), Natural Order of Things (MC/GN/ES), double bill Sirens + AMAE, closing Friday, June 13, with S-E-D by Sharon Eyal (FR), one of the most internationally sought-after choreographers today.

Heilbronn as a Dance City

Heilbronn is a district town in Württemberg's Unterland region and, with around 130,000 inhabitants, a central hub in northern Baden-Württemberg. Theater Heilbronn is a four-division house (drama, musical theatre, youth theatre, concerts) and has made a firm statement with TANZ!. The city itself becomes a stage during the festival weeks for audiences traveling from Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Würzburg, and beyond.