To mark the start of the Kunstfest Weimar, well-known locations in Weimar and the surrounding area will be transformed into venues for extraordinary artistic encounters. The festival will open with a vibrant installation in Ilmpark: On 21 and 22 August, the French company Gratte Ciel will present their performance → »RoZéO« at the Stern, with free admission. Mysterious figures willl move above the park landscape on six-meter-high, flexible poles - a performance inspired by the reeds of the Camargue and accompanied by an atmospheric live soundtrack. At the same time, the Festwiese in Apolda will host a special participatory project. Japanese sound artist Masamitsu Araki will celebrate the European premiere of → »Soundtrack for Midnight TAMURO« there. In close collaboration with members of the local car-tuning scene, he transforms their tuned vehicles into a »motorized orchestra«, turning the city outskirts into an informal meeting place and a fleeting social sculpture.

An array of events will also be hosted on Weimar’s traditional stages during the first weekend. On 21 August, at the Großes Haus of Deutsches Nationaltheater, choreographer Leïla Ka explores societal role models in her piece → »Maldonne«, in which five dancers use 40 different dresses to explore the diverse facets of femininity and rebellion. On 23 August at the Redoute, the Moldovan collective teatru-spălătorie addresses collective memory processes and the political history of Eastern Europe in the sound performance → »Memory Distortion. MIXTAPE«. The programme is complemented by musical and socially critical highlights: On 22 August at the Erbenhof, → Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek combine Anatolian tradition with psychedelic groove, while on 23 August at August-Frölich-Platz, Tanja Krone and her band explore the question of how we find inner security in uncertain times in → »Songs of (In)Security«.

Throughout the festival, the central meeting place is the new → festival centre in the Lichthaus, located on the e-werk grounds. Where an arthouse cinema usually resides, a space is now being created to facilitate direct interaction between the audience, artists, and the local community. There will be a free programme of concerts, film nights, exhibitions, and a flea market, inviting visitors of all ages to enjoy the late-summer atmosphere together and experience the festival in a relaxed setting.