Theater der Dinge — International Festival for Puppetry

The German Showcase of a Global Genre

Since 2008, Theater der Dinge has been the central German festival for puppet, object, and material theatre — an art form traditionally deeply rooted in Germany (from the Augsburger Puppenkiste to the Berliner Ensemble), but which is currently undergoing radical renewal internationally. Schaubude Berlin, as the organiser, is considered the most important production site for the contemporary movement in this sector, and its festival is its calling card: it showcases what is currently being worked on in Brussels, Lisbon, Quebec, Tokyo, and Berlin.

15th Edition — Anniversary Under the Motto «the world as a model»

In 2026, Theater der Dinge will take place for the 15th time. The festival is using its anniversary for a conceptual statement: «the world as a model» — the world as a model. How do miniatures work? What does it mean to build a world in miniature — as a child, as an artist, as an architect, as a toy manufacturer? What political models do we design, and which ones fail? 18 productions from all over Europe and overseas will engage with these questions, in stage formats, installations, workshops, and encounters.

Highlights of the Programme

Among the announced productions are «Dreamland» by Théâtre Rude Ingénierie from Quebec — a large-scale kinetic installation that reconstructs New York's Coney Island amusement park during its heyday as a movable microcosm — and the «Transport» series, a commissioned format in which six European puppet theatres work with 3D-printed miniature worlds on logistics, tourism, and ecology. The programme is complemented by workshops, artist talks, and an encounter format that brings together professionals from the sector and the audience.

Schaubude Berlin and Partner Venues

The festival centre is Schaubude at Greifswalder Straße 81–84 in the Prenzlauer Berg district (Pankow borough). As in 2025, the festival will occupy several Berlin venues simultaneously — in past editions, these included the bat-Studiotheater, DOCK 11, the Heinrich Böll Library, the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts, and TATWERK. The exact list of partner venues for 2026 will be published shortly before the festival begins.

Date and Duration

The exact dates in November 2026 will be announced in late summer 2026. For comparison: the 2025 edition ran from October 31 to November 5. Therefore, a similar timeframe can be expected — an intensive festival week with evening performances, daytime workshops, and an opening encounter format.