Name: Tanzfestival Saar 2026
Start: 2026-03-06T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-03-18T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Saarländisches Staatstheater

Tanzfestival Saar

About Tanzfestival Saar

Every two years, the Tanzfestival Saar transforms the Saarländisches Staatstheater and venues in Forbach, Saarlouis, and Neunkirchen into a cross-border stage for contemporary dance. Ballet Director Stijn Celis and Company Manager Klaus Kieser invite internationally sought-after choreographers and companies to the Saar – from in-house productions of classics to radical premieres.

Dates 06 Mar — 18 Mar 2026

Venue Saarbrücken (10041)

Prices 15.00€ — 65.00€

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Tanzfestival Saar — edition 2026

Tickets →

The 6th Tanzfestival Saar runs from March 6 to 18, 2026. Opening with "Cendrillon" by Stijn Celis (Saarländisches Staatsballett), highlights include Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's "Frida", Kader Attou's Compagnie Accrorap "Prélude", "Hype the Pain" by the Miller de Nobili company, and the immersive premiere "The Cage" by Theater ANU. Venues: Saarbrücken, Forbach, Saarlouis, Neunkirchen.

The sixth edition marks a decade of successful dance biennale on the Saar. With the new venues Gebläsehalle Neunkirchen and Kulturgut Ost Saarbrücken, and the return of Le Carreau Forbach, the 2026 festival significantly expands its performance spaces. Around 5,000 dance visitors from Germany, France, and Luxembourg are expected.

Highlights Tanzfestival Saar 2026

Opening with "Cendrillon" by Stijn Celis
Annabelle Lopez Ochoa: "Frida"
Kader Attou / Compagnie Accrorap: "Prélude"
Theater ANU: "The Cage" — immersive premiere
New venues: Gebläsehalle Neunkirchen, Kulturgut Ost Saarbrücken
Le Carreau Forbach (FR) back in the program
Festival Pass with 25% discount from 4 performances

Programme Tanzfestival Saar 2026

Friday, March 6, 2026 — Opening

7:30 PM — "Cendrillon" (Cinderella) by Stijn Celis, music Prokofiev, Saarländisches Staatsballett (Großes Haus, Saarländisches Staatstheater)

Saturday, March 7, 2026

8:00 PM — "Hype the Pain" by the Miller de Nobili company (Alte Feuerwache, Saarbrücken)

Wednesday, March 11 / Thursday, March 12, 2026

8:00 PM — "The Cage", immersive premiere by Theater ANU (Kulturgut Ost, Saarbrücken)

Saturday, March 14, 2026

8:00 PM — "Frida" by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa (Großes Haus, Saarländisches Staatstheater)

Sunday, March 15, 2026 — Cendrillon Reprise

6:00 PM — "Cendrillon" by Stijn Celis, reprise (Großes Haus, Saarländisches Staatstheater)

Wednesday, March 18, 2026 — Finale

8:00 PM — "Prélude" by Compagnie Accrorap / Kader Attou (Le Carreau, Forbach)

Further performances at Gebläsehalle Neunkirchen, Theater am Ring Saarlouis, and Sparte4 Saarbrücken. Full program available at staatstheater.saarland.

Prices Tanzfestival Saar 2026

Tickets per performance €15–€65 depending on venue and category. Festival Pass from 4 performances: 25% discount. Booking via staatstheater.saarland, 0681 3092-486, or at the Theaterkasse Schillerplatz 2.

Practical information

Practical information — Tanzfestival Saar

Getting to Saarbrücken

Saarbrücken Hauptbahnhof is directly accessible via ICE/TGV from Paris (1h45), Frankfurt (2h), Stuttgart, and Mannheim. The Staatstheater is located at Schillerplatz, a five-minute walk from the main station. By car via the A6 or A620.

Venues

Saarländisches Staatstheater (Schillerplatz 1, Saarbrücken). Alte Feuerwache and Kulturgut Ost (Saarbrücken). Theater am Ring (Saarlouis). Gebläsehalle (Neunkirchen). Le Carreau (Forbach, FR). Shuttle service between venues on selected festival days — information available at the theatre.

Tickets

Online via staatstheater.saarland, phone 0681 3092-486, or at the Theaterkasse Schillerplatz 2 (Tue–Fri 10 AM–6 PM, Sat 10 AM–2 PM). Festival Pass from 4 performances: 25% discount.

Accommodation

Hotels around Saarbrücken Hauptbahnhof and in the Old Town. For the Forbach performance, staying in Saarbrücken is recommended (15 minutes by car).

Dance on the Border

When the Tanzfestival Saar opens its sixth edition from March 6 to 18, 2026, it will have long been a must-attend event for German and French dance audiences. The idea of using Saarland as a cultural hub between Germany, France, and Luxembourg has shaped the festival since its premiere in 2016: venues in Saarbrücken, Forbach (FR), Saarlouis, and Neunkirchen make it one of the few truly cross-border dance biennales in Europe.

Artistic Direction with a Calling Card

Behind the artistic program is the duo Stijn Celis (Ballet Director of the Saarländisches Staatsballett) and Klaus Kieser (Company Manager). For over a decade, they have curated the festival, bringing companies to the Saar that are otherwise only seen in the major houses of Berlin, Hamburg, Brussels, or Paris.

Choreographer Highlights 2026

The 2026 program brings together a top international selection. Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, the Belgian-Colombian star choreographer, presents her piece about Frida Kahlo. Kader Attou, a pioneer of French hip-hop dance theatre, brings his new work “Prélude" with the Compagnie Accrorap to the festival finale. Miller de Nobili explore the interplay of digital culture and the body in “Hype the Pain". Theater ANU realizes an immersive premiere with “The Cage".

In-House Opening

The festival traditionally opens with the Saarländisches Staatsballett itself. Stijn Celis presents his new choreography of “Cendrillon” (Cinderella) to music by Sergei Prokofiev — an in-house premiere that underscores the artistic profile of the house.

Venues Between Theatre and Industrial Culture

New to the festival program are the Gebläsehalle Neunkirchen (a spectacularly repurposed industrial hall of the former ironworks) and the Kulturgut Ost in Saarbrücken. After the pandemic, Le Carreau in Forbach also returns to the program — France's national stage in close proximity to Saarland and a long-standing partner of the Staatstheater.

Who Attends the Festival

The audience is mixed: regular Saarbrücken theatregoers, German-French dance audiences from Forbach, Sarreguemines, Metz, and Saarlouis, cultural travelers from Luxembourg and Trier. With the Festival Pass (from 4 performances, 25% discount), a weekend trip to the Saarland capital is also worthwhile.