27th Theatre Festival Marzahn-Hellersdorf

School Theatre as a District Ritual

The Marzahn-Hellersdorf Theatre Festival is a unique district event. Since the late 1990s, school theatre groups from secondary schools in Marzahn, Hellersdorf, Biesdorf, and Kaulsdorf have gathered here for three days to present their current productions. For many years, the Otto Nagel Gymnasium at Schulstraße 11 has been the host – an institution whose auditorium becomes a stage during these days, rivaling any independent theatre in the district.

What to See Here

Classics alongside original works, research-based theatre next to comedies, dance theatre beside chamber plays: the range of invited productions reflects the diversity of Berlin's school theatre scene. At the 26th festival in 2025, awards included: Sommernacht (Wilhelm von Siemens Gymnasium) for best humour, Valentin & der Tod (Sartre Gymnasium) for best choreography, The Time Is Fucking Out Of Joint (Mildred Harnack School) as the bravest play, and three awards for the Otto Nagel Gymnasium itself – including Musterland and Echt Jetzt?!.

District and Location

Biesdorf is located in East Berlin, a fifteen-minute S-Bahn ride from Alexanderplatz. The Otto Nagel Gymnasium is situated between the Biesdorf S-Bahn station and the Elsterwerdaer Platz U-Bahn station. Visitors to the festival will incidentally get to know a part of Berlin that lies beyond the usual tourist routes – Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Berlin's youngest district in the east, federal state of Berlin.

Practical Information

Performances in the morning and afternoon, evening highlights, and an awards ceremony on Sunday evening. Admission is free; reservations through the Otto Nagel Gymnasium's secretariat are recommended, as the auditorium quickly fills up with over 90 percent capacity.