The Kunstfest Weimar is the largest festival for contemporary arts in Thuringia and one of the most significant of its kind in eastern Germany. From August 21 to September 6, 2026, it invites visitors to experience international and regional works in theater, dance, performance, music, visual arts, literature, and discourse over the course of two and a half weeks.

Under the artistic direction of Katharina Germo and Juliane Hahn, the festival sees itself as a forum for contemporary arts. It opens up spaces for new perspectives and participation, connects social issues with artistic experiments, and at the same time creates an open, festive atmosphere.

Weimar, its public spaces, and the Thuringian region become vibrant venues where artistic quality, a spirit of experimentation, and the polyphony of our present day become palpable. The focus is on surprising encounters between artists, audiences, and the urban community. The Kunstfest Weimar is a place for shared experiences, for critical questions—and for the joy of the diversity of contemporary art.

The Kunstfest Weimar was founded in 1990 as one of the first joint cultural initiatives in reunified Germany. Initially, it focused on figures such as Goethe, Schiller, Bach, and Liszt. The proceeds from the early years were used to restore Weimar’s cultural monuments.

Kari Kahl-Wolfsjäger served as artistic director from 1990 to 1992, and Johannes Gross took over in 1992. From 1993 to 2001, the festival was organized by the Klassik Stiftung Weimar under Bernd Kauffmann, including as part of the 1999 European Capital of Culture year. Ralf Schlüter led the festival in 2002, and Hellmut Seeman in 2003. From 2004 to 2013, Nike Wagner directed the Kunstfest under the name “pèlerinages.” During this period, as a music festival, it was characterized by elements of music theater, visual arts, and dance. Since 2014, the Kunstfest Weimar has been an independent division of the German National Theater and Staatskapelle Weimar. Under Christian Holtzhauer (2014–2018), it opened up more to theater, dance, performance, and cross-disciplinary works, with projects in public spaces. Rolf C. Hemke led the festival from 2019 to 2025 and guided the Kunstfest Weimar through the challenges of the pandemic with resilience and tenacity. In addition to a focus on world premieres and first performances, the program has since been shaped by collaborations with local and regional cultural institutions across various disciplines.

Starting in the fall of 2025, Katharina Germo and Juliane Hahn will take over as artistic directors of the Kunstfest Weimar. Their first edition of the festival will take place from August 21 to September 6, 2026.