Kunstfest Weimar GmbH

What Kunstfest Weimar GmbH does

Kunstfest Weimar GmbH operates an annual contemporary arts festival in Weimar, Germany, functioning as an independent division of the state theater Deutsches Nationaltheater und Staatskapelle Weimar GmbH. The 2026 edition runs August 21 to September 6 and spans 17 days of programming across theater, dance, performance, music, visual arts, literature, and discourse. Productions are staged across multiple venues in Weimar and the broader Thuringian region, including the DNT, Lichthaus (Festivalzentrum), Redoute, Gaswerk, mon ami, and outlying locations in Apolda, Ilmenau, Eisenach, Gera, and Zeitz. The festival is co-produced with a network of major European partners, including HAU Hebbel am Ufer Berlin, Schaubühne Berlin, Festival d'Automne à Paris, Künstlerhaus Mousonturm Frankfurt, the National Theatre of Northern Greece, and Kyoto Experiment.

The product surface consists of the curated Programm (Festival Program), individual productions such as RoZéO, Izithukuthuku, 96%, Four Walls and a Roof, Memory Distortion. MIXTAPE, Soundtrack for Midnight TAMURO, and Nach der Bahn die Wende, plus the Festivalzentrum im Lichthaus, a printed Programmbuch, an online calendar, German Sign Language and Easy Read accessibility services, and discounted combo (Kombi) tickets. There is no proprietary technology platform or software product; the website serves as an informational and ticketing surface, and no public API or AI/ML capability is documented.

The business model combines (a) transaction-based ticket sales (standard adult, student, school student, income support / refugee at €1, disability discount, and bundle tickets), (b) recurring public subsidy from Thüringen MBWK and Weimar Kulturstadt, and (c) sponsorship and project funding from Sparkasse Mittelthüringen (main sponsor), Sparkasse Weimar-Weimarer Land, Goethe-Institut, Institut Français, Klassik Stiftung Weimar, Saison Foundation, and Japan Creator Support Fund, among others. The organization is staffed by a small team (5 employees; 14 listed on the About Us page including interns and an FSJ Culture volunteer), led since fall 2025 by artistic co-directors Katharina Germo and Juliane Hahn.

Name

Kunstfest Weimar GmbH

Legal name

Deutsches Nationaltheater und Staatskapelle Weimar GmbH

Website

https://kunstfest-weimar.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kunstfest Weimar GmbH operates an annual 17-day contemporary arts festival in Weimar and the Thuringian region, presenting international and regional theater, dance, music, and visual arts as an independent division of Deutsches Nationaltheater und Staatskapelle Weimar. It serves regional audiences, international visitors, artists, and co-production partners funded by state subsidy and sponsorship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Festival

NAICS

Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG)

Keywords

• Contemporary arts festival
• Performing arts events
• Multidisciplinary arts programming
• Theater and dance festival
• Cultural festival management

Headquarters

HQ city

Weimar

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from ticket sales for festival events. Tickets available online via event pages, at DNT box office, Tourist Information Weimar, and venue box offices. Pricing varies by event with various discount categories available.
2. Sponsorship & Public Funding: Major funding from Thüringen Ministry, Weimar Kulturstadt, and various project funding from cultural foundations. Additional support from marketing partners and sponsors including Sparkasse Mittelthüringen as main sponsor.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kunstfest Weimar operates an annual contemporary arts festival held in Weimar and the Thuringian region, presenting international and regional programming across theater, dance, performance, music, visual arts, literature, and discourse. The festival runs for 17 days (the 2026 edition: August 21 to September 6) across multiple venues in Weimar and partner locations throughout Thuringia, featuring world premieres, first performances, and co-productions with international arts institutions.

Product overview

Kunstfest Weimar is an annual contemporary arts festival organized by Kunstfest Weimar GmbH as a division of Deutsches Nationaltheater und Staatskapelle Weimar. The 2026 edition runs from August 21 to September 6, presenting international and regional contemporary art across theater, dance, performance, music, visual arts, literature, and discourse. The festival portfolio includes the core festival program (Programm) with individual productions such as RoZéO (contemporary circus), Soundtrack for Midnight TAMURO (concert-performance), Izithukuthuku (dance theater), Memory Distortion. MIXTAPE (sound performance), 96% (documentary theater), Four Walls and a Roof (theater), and Nach der Bahn die Wende (audio theater). Supporting offerings include the Festivalzentrum im Lichthaus (festival center for informal gatherings and free programming), Kombi-Tickets (discounted bundled tickets), accessibility services (German Sign Language and Easy Read versions), and the Programmbuch (program booklet in print and PDF).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kunstfest Weimar Festival
• Festivalzentrum im Lichthaus

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Deutsches Nationaltheater und Staatskapelle Weimar GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization and venue provider. Kunstfest Weimar is an independent division of this state theater. The DNT provides venues including the Großes Haus, Studiobühne, and box office infrastructure.
• Sparkasse MittelthüringencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain sponsor of the Kunstfest Weimar. Also provides venue support for the Festivalzentrum at Lichthaus.
• Sparkasse Weimar – Weimarer LandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject funding for Soundtrack for Midnight TAMURO performance.
• Lichthaus WeimarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner and venue for Festivalzentrum. Located on e-werk grounds, serves as central meeting point during festival.
• Goethe-InstitutmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeneral project funding supporter. Also provides support for specific productions including 96% and Memory Distortion.
• Institut FrançaismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeneral project funding supporter. Supports international cultural exchange programming.
• Klassik Stiftung WeimarmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural partner for festival programming, including venues like Bauhaus-Museum Weimar.
• Kulturabteilung der Stadt ApoldamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner for Soundtrack for Midnight TAMURO at Festwiese Apolda.
• Thüringen Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst (MBWK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain funding body for the festival alongside Weimar Kulturstadt.
• Weimarer KulturstadtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain funding body for the festival alongside Thüringen MBWK.
• HAU Hebbel am Ufer BerlinmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Memory Distortion. MIXTAPE and other theater productions.
• National Theatre of Northern GreecemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for 96% documentary theater production.
• Schaubühne BerlinmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for 96% documentary theater production.
• Kyoto ExperimentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Soundtrack for Midnight TAMURO. International festival collaboration with Japanese arts scene.
• Gaswerk Weimar e.V.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner providing venue for exhibitions and events.
• ARTEminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMedia partner for festival coverage and broadcasts.
• Saison FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding supporter for Soundtrack for Midnight TAMURO project.
• Festival d'Automne à ParismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Four Walls and a Roof theater production.
• Künstlerhaus Mousonturm FrankfurtmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Four Walls and a Roof and Frei_Spiel X productions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Theater der Welt: Biennial German festival of international contemporary theater organized under the ITI Germany umbrella. Comparable to Kunstfest as a German publicly funded international theater festival with rotating host cities and co-productions.
• Tanz im August: Berlin's leading international contemporary dance festival held annually each August. Comparable to Kunstfest as a German publicly funded contemporary arts festival, narrower in scope (dance-dominant) but similar in co-production model.
• Kyoto Experiment: Japan's leading contemporary performing arts festival held annually in Kyoto. Comparable to Kunstfest as a multidisciplinary contemporary arts festival, and already a co-production partner (Soundtrack for Midnight TAMURO).
• Wiener Festwochen: Vienna's annual theater and performing arts festival featuring international contemporary work. Closely comparable to Kunstfest in scale, public-funding base, and programming across theater, dance, music, and performance.
• Ruhrtriennale: Three-yearly festival of contemporary arts staged across the Ruhr region of Germany. Comparable to Kunstfest in using regional industrial/cultural heritage venues for contemporary performing arts and in reliance on state funding.
• Festival d'Automne à Paris: Paris's autumn contemporary arts festival covering dance, theater, music, visual arts, and cinema. Directly comparable to Kunstfest as a multidisciplinary contemporary arts festival and already a co-production partner ('Four Walls and a Roof').
• Berliner Festspiele: Berlin's major publicly funded festival organizer producing multiple annual programs including foreign affairs and contemporary arts. Comparable to Kunstfest as a German publicly funded contemporary arts presenter with international scope.
• Festival d'Avignon: France's premier annual performing arts festival held each summer. Directly comparable to Kunstfest Weimar as a multidisciplinary contemporary performing arts festival operating on an annual cadence with international co-productions and public funding.
• Holland Festival: Amsterdam's flagship annual international arts festival presenting theater, dance, music, opera, and visual arts. Comparable to Kunstfest as a multidisciplinary, publicly funded contemporary arts festival with international co-productions.

Broad incumbents

• Edinburgh International Festival: One of the world's largest and longest-established annual performing arts festivals. Comparable to Kunstfest as a flagship publicly funded summer contemporary arts festival, but operating at materially larger scale and longer history.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@kunstfest_weimar
• Facebookfacebook.com/KunstfestWeimarOfficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/kunstfest_weimar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kunstfest-weimar-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kunstfest Weimar GmbH