Schwindelfrei Festival

Schwindelfrei Festival for Dance, Theater, Performance+

From July 9 to 12, 2026, the Schwindelfrei Festival for Dance, Theater, Performance+ will celebrate its tenth anniversary under the theme “Staying Here—Spaces and Practices of a New Coexistence.” The invited artist groups will present works that explore encounters, dialogue, and neighborly relationships.

At the heart of the festival are six selected residency projects from Mannheim and the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region. The festival program is complemented by an international guest performance, numerous opportunities for encounters and networking, and a free supporting program.

To mark the tenth anniversary of the Schwindelfrei Festival and many other milestones, we are celebrating Mannheim’s independent arts scene with the project “Staying Here! Strategies for Staying”: Through a growing archive of the independent performing arts in Mannheim, a review of artistic exchange, a performative essay, and digital archiving practices, the project aims to highlight the power of the independent arts scene—its diversity, creative potential, and social impact—in an artistic, participatory, and process-oriented manner.

The Schwindelfrei Festival is a project of the City of Mannheim’s Cultural Affairs Office. The festival’s partner venues are EinTanzHaus, Theaterhaus G7, Felina Theater Mannheim, zeitraumexit, Community Art Center, laboratorio17, and Galerie Maquis Mami Wata.”

Program by day:
Thursday: Workshop, networking event, Growing Archive, festival opening with a concert and international guest performance, supporting program
Friday: Networking and exchange sessions, Growing Archive, keynote talk, residency showings, supporting program
Saturday: Family workshop, Growing Archive, residency showings, film screening, supporting program
Sunday: Closing event “What Remains? A Review of the Exchange,” Growing Archive, Shared Listening

For more information about the festival, visit www.schwindelfrei-festival.de