27.09.2026 11:30 Uhr | "Mach die Fliege..." | 11. Deutsches Kindertheaterfest

"Tie a Bow Tie! Saying Goodbye for Beginners"
THEATER PFÜTZE - THEATER CLASS

When a group of children discovers a dead fly, one thing is clear: it needs a funeral. But this raises many questions. What comes after death? What does death look like? And how deep is a grave, anyway? 
In this collaboratively developed play, 11 children aged 9 to 11 explored the topic of death with curiosity, imagination, and honesty. 

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 features productions by children for children. The festival highlights both the artistic value of children’s theater and the wide variety of themes, subject matter, methodological approaches, and performance styles. A total of six selected children’s theater groups are invited to the festival to present their productions. The selection of productions is carried out by a twelve-member jury—composed equally of experts under 12 and experts over 24.

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