With more than 30 international productions, the “Theater der Welt” festival captivated some 17,000 visitors in Chemnitz.
The huge public response came as no surprise to him; Chemnitz had already proven itself to be a cosmopolitan city during its tenure as the European Capital of Culture in 2025, explained Stefan Schmidtke, one of the festival’s three artistic directors. To wrap things up, a party was planned for Sunday evening at the festival center at the Spinnbau, which was set to last into the early morning hours.
Most performances were sold out. Festival organizers put the attendance rate at 91.8 percent. About one-third of the audience had traveled from out of town.
The program for this year’s edition had been put together by nine curators from various countries. The program offered a broad spectrum ranging from pop opera to drama and puppet theater to performance art. Above all, the aim was to provide a stage for indigenous voices and perspectives.