Every summer, the Zürcher Theater Spektakel turns Zurich into a meeting place for contemporary performing arts from around the world, attracting a broad audience curious to discover something new. For more than forty years, the festival has presented groundbreaking international and local work in theatre, dance, performance, music and circus arts, while continually venturing beyond conventional genres. With more than 100,000 visitors each year, it has become an established part of Zurich’s cultural calendar.
With its wide-ranging programme, the Zürcher Theater Spektakel opens windows onto the world and offers fresh perspectives on current developments in the international performing arts. Rooted in the spirit of the youth and countercultural movements of the 1980s, the festival has preserved its commitment to reflecting critically on contemporary realities. Today, the festival aims not only to enrich Zurich’s cultural landscape with contemporary international art, but also to bring global perspectives to the city and create spaces for dialogue between the arts, culture and civil society. Various talks, discussions and public programmes provide context and foster a deeper and more lasting engagement with the themes explored on stage. A wide range of opportunities to meet, take part and get involved make contemporary art accessible to a broad audience. Making the festival accessible and relevant to as many people as possible lies at the heart of its mission. Inclusion, accessibility, a welcoming and respectful environment, as well as a commitment to ecological and social sustainability, are embedded throughout the programme and across all areas of the festival’s organisation and operations.
With its long history, the Zürcher Theater Spektakel occupies a prominent place within the European festival landscape and is an important partner for artists from around the world. Long-standing partnerships with sponsors and funding bodies have been instrumental in shaping the festival and securing its place within the city's cultural life. Collaborations with cultural institutions and universities of the arts, international exchange, and a strong commitment to supporting emerging talent ensure that the festival remains closely connected to both local communities and international cultural networks.
Since its founding in 1980, the festival has taken place each year primarily on the Landiwiese, at the Werft and at the Rote Fabrik on the shores of Lake Zurich. The temporary world that emerges there year after year through the dedication of more than 300 staff members, artists and contributors has made the festival what it is today: an extraordinary place beyond the ordinary, inviting visitors to see the world from a different perspective, if only for a moment.
Programme
Each year the festival directors invite from around the world about 40 individuals and companies whose creations are marked by formal independence, innovative character and artistic ambition. Part of the budget is reserved for festival-owned productions or co-productions. Precedence is given to projects that reflect a connection to the festival.
Festival direction
The festival is co-directed by:
- Veit Kälin, Technical director (since 2015)
- Matthias von Hartz, Artistic director (since November 2017)
- Sarah Wendle, Executive director (since 2020)
Promoter and partners
The Zürcher Theater Spektakel is an event of the City of Zurich and is generously funded by its main partners Zürcher Kantonalbank, Swiss Re and the Canton of Zurich as well as by the Tages-Anzeiger as media partner.
CHRONICLE
The Zurich Theatre Spectacle looks back on a long history, shaped in equal measure by big names from the international performing arts scene and by a long-standing commitment to emerging artists from the Global South. And by a team that has consistently set itself ambitious goals. Read more.