Lausitz Festival 2025: Art and culture attract 10,000 guests!

Lausitz Festival 2025: Art and culture attract 10,000 guests!

On Sunday, August 24th, 2025, the time has finally come: the Lausitz Festival starts its sixth round! Over the next three weeks, the organizers in Brandenburg and Saxony are expecting around 10,000 culture-loving visitors. With a diverse program of music, dance, readings and theater, the festival will not only make people's hearts beat faster, but will also send a clear signal for the region's cultural landscape. How rbb24 Reportedly, audiences will enjoy artistic performances at 13 different locations, including old industrial halls, churches and even a disused mine.

The premiere of the play “Sonettfabrik” in the world's oldest briquette factory in Domsdorf, which is based on Shakespeare's sonnets, will begin. Director Michael Sturminger ensures that the starting signal for the festival is a true experience. The festival days will also be peppered with highlights: a concert on the occasion of the 90th birthday of the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt in Görlitz and a song recital by Ute Lemper in honor of Kurt Weill in Bautzen are just some of the musical highlights that have been announced MDR added.

A narrower program

The festival is smaller than last year, which is not least due to the cuts in funding. The number of events was roughly halved compared to last year because financial resources were reduced by two million euros due to a reduction in federal funding. This cut also has an impact on the festival's artistic plans. Director Daniel Kühnel speaks of a “planned decline” that represents a creative challenge. Nevertheless, the federal states of Saxony and Brandenburg as well as the federal government have ensured that the festival remains a state focus.

The festival period extends until September 14th and includes theater performances, dance, performances, music from classical to jazz as well as two exhibitions and a philosophical laboratory. Another highlight will be the premiere of the family opera “Krabat” on September 13th in Görlitz, realized in collaboration with the Gerhart-Hauptmann-Theater.

A cultural awakening in Lusatia

However, the Lausitz Festival is by no means the only major cultural event in the region. As part of the new Lausitz Cultural Plan project fund, which is being funded by the federal government with around one million euros for 2025, a total of 25 projects to strengthen cultural life are on the agenda. These initiatives are intended not only to promote the Sorbian and Wendish heritage, but also to improve the networking and visibility of the regional cultural scene. The projects within the cultural plan cover a wide range, including a youth musical festival and the Lausitz Photo Days, as shown on wirtschaftsregion-lausitz.de is to be read.

Whether the residents and visitors of Lusatia are prepared to take full advantage of the cultural offerings remains to be seen. One thing is certain, however: the Lausitz Festival, with its attractive program and many events, will definitely do its part to continue to live on the region's cultural heritage and provide new impulses.