GREETING MAYOR OF THE CITY OF ZURICH
Dear readers
In my final year as Mayor, I am especially delighted to announce the Zürcher Theater Spektakel 2025. The international festival has always been a special highlight in the city’s cultural calendar. The Zürcher Theater Spektakel not only provides an important platform for international artists, but also bridges generations and demonstrates how culture can strengthen solidarity – especially in times when differing opinions collide. Right now, spaces for social and political dialogue are more essential than ever – places where perspectives can be exchanged and debates can take place. Once again, this year’s programme offers something extraordinary: performances, dance, theatre, circus, installations, and street art from all over the world create spaces for creative experiments and societal reflections. Here, as a community, we can reflect on the pressing issues of our time – resilience, democracy, peace, fortitude, and how to deal with the climate crisis, for example. Artistic strategies can help us learn from each other and build connections in difficult times.
I would like to thank everyone who makes this festival possible – the amazing artists, the passionate organisers, and the committed audience. Here’s to an inspiring and unforgettable Zürcher Theater Spektakel 2025!
Corine Mauch
Greetings Main Partners
Zürcher Kantonalbank
Few other festivals offer such a multifaceted view of the world as the Zürcher Theater Spektakel. It is a place of connection – where past and future meet, and where today’s many contradictions come into play.
It is precisely these shared cultural experiences that help us grow as a society, laying a foundation for closeness and understanding. This awareness has connected us with the festival and with the people on both sides of the spotlight for 30 years. With over 400 active commitments, we are more than just a bank. As part of our public mandate, we support the Canton of Zurich in the areas of society, economy, and environment. Strengthening social cohesion has always been a priority for Zürcher Kantonalbank. And that benefits everyone – including young emerging talents.
This is why we support their future creative work with our ZKB Prizes. After all, it is precisely their contributions to culture that open up new perspectives and provide deep insights into today’s most pressing issues. We wish you, dear audience, an inspiring festival filled with enriching performances and thought-provoking encounters
Mark Roth
Member of the Committee of the Board
Swiss Re
Welcome summer! As every year the Zürcher Theater Spektakel transforms «our» Landiwiese into a vibrant space full of creativity and artistic expression. With its spectacular setting by the lake, this unique festival brings people together to enjoy a wide variety of performances.
Over the years, it has become a beloved part of Zurich’s summer and put our city onto the global cultural map. Its bold program and inclusive spirit continue to attract talented artists from all over the world.
At a time when the world is changing rapidly, cultural initiatives like these are essential as they offer new perspectives, open hearts andminds, and foster dialogue. When people think, talk, and engage, there are often moments of lasting inspiration. Moments we encourage.
Swiss Re has been a proud partner of the Zürcher Theater Spektakel for over three decades. This reflects our belief that culture helps shape strong, open and resilient communities.
I look forward to a festival filled with inspiring performances and truly unforgettable moments.
Gianfranco Lot
Swiss Re Country President Switzerland
Kanton Zürich, Fachstelle Kultur
«The world is a strange theatre,» said Alexis de Tocqueville, one of the great political thinkers of the 19th century. For in the global reality, it happens that the worst plays would achieve the greatest success. What de Tocqueville observed nearly 200 years ago remains strikingly relevant today. The rise of disturbingly bad, yet (for the moment) successful «plays» we are currently experiencing is hard to bear. All the more pressing is the question: What to do? Despair? Bury our heads in the sand? On the contrary: In challenging times like the present, an engaged, resilient civil society is more important than ever. And it is intrinsic to the nature of a strong, diverse civil society that it communicates in different ways. Art and theatre are such ways. Theatre asks questions – even difficult, uncomfortable, challenging ones. It delights, irritates, inspires, makes us reflect – in short: theatre keeps the senses awake. It enlivens, shakes us, fosters a sense of community – and is thus the perfect answer in a time of paralyzing anxiety.
And if this isn’t just one theatre, but an entire theatre festival: even better!
Jacqueline Fehr
Government Councillor
Tages-Anzeiger
As summer draws to a close, Zurich’s Landiwiese transforms into a stage for performing arts from around the world. The Theater Spektakel has been one of the City’s cultural highlights for over forty years – a place of experience, exchange, and encounter by the lakeside.
Especially in a time when societal tensions are rising and global challenges shape our everyday lives, the festival creates space for reflection and dialogue. Artists bring diverse realities, questions, and visions to the stage – moving, surprising, and often provocative.
I would like to thank everyone involved for their dedication and wish the audience a festival full of inspiration, emotions, and thought-provoking moments.
Dr. Pietro Supino
Publisher of the Tages-Anzeiger and Chairman of the Board of Directors of TX Group