POLIS Teatro Festival 2026

In 2026 POLIS Teatro Festival reaches its 9th edition, after eight successful years for one of the few Italian theatre festivals investigating fundamental issues such as the defence of civil rights, climate change, and the role of art in society. Since 2018, the festival has become known on the international theatre scene, becoming an established appointment, with the merit of bringing to theatre every year also citizens who do not go there for economic or social reasons and hundreds of young people.Since 2022 it opened to the European contemporary scene, bringing to Ravenna prominent international artists such as Pascal Rambert, Ivica Buljan, Oliver Frljić, Jeton Neziraj, She She Pop, Mats Staub, Rimini Protokoll, Hotel Europa, El Conde de Torrefiel, Silvia Costa, Ascanio Celestini, Babilonia teatri and younger artists such as Hermanas Picohueso, Isabel Costa/Os Possessos, Pauline Peyrade, Žiga Divjak, Gemma Hansson Carbone, Zone-Poème, Licia Lanera.

POLIS 2026 centers an international focus on contemporary theater in northern Europe, meaning the Baltic states and Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), which will unfold from May 5th to May 10th at major cultural venues in Ravenna.Many events, including important names of the international theater scene, national premieres, productions by major European theaters, and moments of discussion among international artists, scholars and professionals, will draw the attention of critics and spectators from all over Europe, confirming the festival’s distinctive artistic proposal of the highest relevance. A rich program, which accompanies the performances with moments of international meetings and conferences, formative activities and participatory projects with a focus on inclusion and active citizenship which has been the soul of the festival since the first edition (Suspended Tickets, Under30 Tickets, Visionari Project, Workshops for university students). They are fundamental the multi-level collaborations with the University of Bologna (Department of Interpretation and Translation of Forlì; LM I-Contact of Ravenna, Fondazione Flaminia of Ravenna), social cooperatives in the area, the national networks In-Box and L’Italia dei Visionari.

POLIS is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Emilia-Romagna Region, Municipality of Ravenna. Each year it accesses contributions from Fondazione del Monte di Bologna e Ravenna (from 2019), Fondazione Cassa di Ravenna (from 2021) and other public and private entities.