Foto: Celia-Maria Schmidt © NRWKS

International Visitors Programme 2026

The International Visitors Programme at the NRWKS brings together artists, cultural institutions and cultural journalists from all over the world with the scene in North Rhine-Westphalia. Six programmes are planned for 2026, covering the topics of contemporary music theatre and new chamber music, short films, new circus and dance, children's and youth theatre, and visual arts.

The 2026 International Visitor Programme kicks off with a press trip to the 58^th Wittener Tage for New Chamber Music & ORBIT – Festival for Contemporary Music Theatre in Cologne from 22 to 27 April.

The 72^nd edition of the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen will be the focus of a visit by international curators and specialist journalists from 27 April to 2 May.

Curators, event organisers and specialist journalists will be guests in North Rhine-Westphalia from 21 to 25 May to visit the CircusDanceFestival 2026 in Cologne.

Children's and youth theatre in North Rhine-Westphalia is the theme of a visitor programme for international event organisers and theatre makers from 1 to 6 June on the occasion of the renowned Westwind Festival in Münster.

In June, international curators, dramaturgs, event organisers and specialist journalists will travel to Impulse – Festival for Performance, Theatre & Dance, which will take place from 3 to 21 June in Bochum, Düsseldorf, Mülheim an der Ruhr and Cologne. The schedule for the programme has not yet been confirmed.

The European biennial MANIFESTA is an interdisciplinary platform that combines urbanism, architecture, social and political issues, contemporary art and culture with local identities and visions. Curators and specialist journalists will be coming to North Rhine-Westphalia for this event from 14 to 19 September.

Programmes

58^th Wittener Tage for New Chamber Music & ORBIT – Festival for Contemporary Music Theatre
22^nd to 27^th April 2026, Witten & Cologne
www.wittenertage.de
www.orbit.cologne

72^nd International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
27^th April to 2^nd May 2026, Oberhausen
www.kurzfilmtage.de

CircusDanceFestival 2026
21^st to 25^th May, Cologne
www.circus-dance-festival.de

Westwind Festival 2026 – 42nd Theatre Meeting for Young Audiences NRW
1^st to 6^th June, Münster
www.westwind-festival.de

Impulse Festival for Performance, Theatre & Dance 2026
The period of the trip is yet to be confirmed, Düsseldorf or Mülheim an der Ruhr and Bochum
www.impulsefestival.de

MANIFESTA 16 Ruhr
14^th to 19^th September, Essen
www.manifesta16.org