International Theatre Festival Divadelná Nitra 2026

The International Theatre Festival Divadelná Nitra is the largest and most significant international theatre festival in Slovakia. Since its founding in 1992, it has served as a key platform for presenting contemporary European performing arts and fostering dialogue between domestic and international cultural scenes. The festival consistently reflects social, political, and environmental issues, connecting artistic exploration with civic engagement and promoting open, critical, and creative thinking. Its dramaturgy combines professional theatre, independent production, education, community projects, and volunteer activities, creating a unique space for communication between art and society.Over more than three decades, Divadelná Nitra has built a stable position on the European cultural map. It has become a model of sustainability, creativity, and resilience, responding to current challenges—social, cultural, and economic alike. The festival regularly hosts ensembles from across Europe and beyond, while providing a platform for Slovak artists, emerging creators, critics, and volunteers. In addition to its main programme, it offers a rich variety of accompanying events—discussions, workshops, concerts, film screenings, and community activities throughout the city of Nitra—bringing culture closer to the public and connecting diverse social groups.In 2026, the festival will celebrate its 35th edition. The programme will explore ideas of intergenerational responsibility and sustainable ways of living, creating, and acting for the benefit of both current and future generations. It will focus on questions of care—for nature, public institutions, cultural heritage, relationships, and the self. The organisers aim to return to the festival’s original mission: to be an island of free artistic creation and a space for responsible and forward-looking reflection on art and society.