26.09.2026 19 Uhr | "Alles hat ein Ende..." | 11. Deutsches Kindertheaterfest

"Everything comes to an end... but the house doesn't?!"
OFF BEATS
 

In a high-rise building, children are searching for their friend, who has simply vanished downstairs. They set out on a journey to find her. At the same time, they try to figure out what kind of world they actually live in here and why rules are so important here. What are the adults making the children believe about what the world here seems to be like? And what kind of world do the children actually want? We invented characters, composed music, drew illustrations, and developed scenes—and that’s how a play was created that takes place in a world all its own. 

11th German Children’s Theater Festival

In September 2026, the Federal Association for Theater Education, in collaboration with LATIBUL, will host the 11th German Children’s Theater Festival in Cologne under the motto “Off to Utopia!”

Since 2004, the festival has been held every two years at a different theater. It is the only nationwide gathering that showcases productions by children for children. The festival highlights both the artistic value of children’s theater and the wide variety of themes, subjects, methodological approaches, and performance styles. A total of six selected children’s theater groups will be invited to the festival to present their productions. A twelve-member jury—composed equally of experts under 12 and experts over 24—is responsible for selecting the productions.

The festival will be complemented by an accompanying professional exchange, which will be organized in 2026 by ASSITEJ e.V. and the Center for Children’s and Youth Theater in the Federal Republic of Germany (KJTZ). From September 24–27, 2026, the LATIBUL circus grounds in Cologne will become a gathering place for children’s theater groups from all over Germany. Four days full of imagination, encounters, and the stage—with the plays taking center stage!

The German Children’s Theater Festival is a project of the Standing Conference “Children Play Theater,” consisting of six federal associations for cultural education of children and youth, and is supported by the Federal Ministry of Education, Family, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth (BMFSFJ).

Click here to visit the German Children’s Theater Festival website