Albania
International Festival of Theatre “Butrinti 2000,” Saranda; www.butrinti2000.com; Jul 17-25.
Australia
Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Adelaide; www.adelaidecabaret.com; Jun 6-21.
Anywhere Theatre Festival, Brisbane; www.anywherefest.com; May 7-18.
Brisbane Festival, South Brisbane; www.brisbanefestival.com.au; Sep 6-27.
Founded as a Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council initiative in 1996, the Brisbane Festival was only a biennial event—until it joined in 2009 with the Riverfestival. This now-yearly event will host composer Philip Glass’s newest opera The Perfect American this fall. Taking place in the last three months of Walt Disney’s life, the opera depicts its lead character decaying both physically and mentally, and struggling to keep his life’s work and the mythos surrounding him alive.
Darwin Festival, Darwin; www.darwinfestival.org.au; Aug 7-24.
Austria
Bregenz Festival, Bregenz; www.bregenzerfestspiele.com; Jul 23-Aug 25.
Festpiele Gutenstein, Gutenstein; www.festspielegutenstein.at; Jul 17-Aug 10.
Komödienspiele Porcia, Spittal/Drau; www.komoedienspiele-porcia.at; Jun 25-Aug 30.
La Strada, Graz; www.lastrada.at; Aug 1-Aug 9.
Salzburg Festival, Salzburg; www.salzburgfestspiele.at; Jul 18-Aug 31.
Wiener Festwochen, Vienna; www.festwochen.at; May 9-Jun 15.
Belgium
Het Theaterfestival, Antwerp; www.theaterfestival.be; Sep 4-Sep 14.
Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Brussels; www,kfda.be; May 2-24.
Brazil
Festival Internacional de Londrina, Londrina; www.filo.art.br; Aug 22-Sep 7.
Festival Internacional de Teatro de São José do Rio Preto, São José do Rio Preto; www.festivalriopreto.com.br; Aug 21-30
Bulgaria
International Theatre Festival Varna Summer, Varna, Sofia; www.theatrefest-varna.org; TBA.
Canada
Banff Summer Arts Festival, Banff, AB; www.banffcentre.ca; Jun 14-Aug 24.
Bard on the Beach, Vancouver, BC; www.bardonthebeach.org; Jun 11-Sep 20.
Carrefour International de Théâtre de Québec, Québec, QC; www.carrefourtheatre.qc.ca; May 22-Jun 12.
Festival TransAmeriques, Montreal, QC; www.fta.qc.ca; May 22-Jun 7.
Gros Morne Theatre Festival, Cow Head, NL; www.theatrenewfoundland.com; TBA. on March 31.
Produced by the Theatre Newfoundland Labrador of Corner Brook, the Gros Morne Theatre Festival in Cow Head, just a two hour drive away, strives to present regional and Canadian theatre that is both intriguing and entertaining. This emphasis on local art and talent is embodied in Jeff Pitcher and Allison Crowe’s Newfoundland Vinyl –The Flip Side. This third installment of the work features folk songs that were written in, and reflect the cultural and oral traditions of, the island of Newfoundland.
International Anarchist Theatre Festival, Montreal, QC; www.anarchistetheatrefestival.com TBA.
Luminato, Toronto, ON; www.luminatofestival.com; Jun 6-15.
Magnetic North Theatre Festival, Halifax & Dartmouth, NS; www.magneticnorthfestival.ca; Jun 19-29.
Montreal Infringement Festival, Montreal, QC; www.infringemontreal.org; Jun 19-29.
Ottawa International Children’s Festival, Ottawa, ON; www.ottawachildrensfestival.ca; May 9-14.
Québec City Summer Festival, Québec, QC; www.infofestival.com; Jul 3-13.
Regina International Fringe Theatre Festival, Regina, SK; http://www.reginafringe.com/; July 9-13
Shaw Festival, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON; www.shawfest.com; Apr 4-Oct 26.
St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival, Montreal, QC; www.montrealfringe.ca; Jun 2-22.
Stratford Festival, Stratford, ON; www.stratfordfestival.ca; Apr 21-Oct 12.
SummerWorks Theatre Festival, Toronto, ON; www.summerworks.ca; Aug.
Uno Fest, Victoria, BC; www.intrepidtheatre.com; May 21-31.
Vancouver Fringe Festival, Vancouver, BC; www.vancouverfringe.com; Sep 4-14.
Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival, Victoria, BC; www.intrepidtheatre.com; Aug 21-31.
Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival, Winnipeg, MB; www.winnipegfringe.com; July 16-27.
Cape Verde
Festival Mindelact, Ilha de S. Vicente; www.mindelact.com; TBA.
Chile
Mestiza Chile, Santiago; www.themagdalenaproject.org; TBA.
China
“Act First” Youth Creative Arts Festival, Shanghai; www.china-drama.com; TBA.
International Arts Carnival, Hong Kong; www.hkiac.gov.hk; Jul 11-Aug 17.
Croatia
Dubrovnik Summer Festival, Dubrovnik; www.dubrovnik-festival.hr; Jul 10-Aug 25.
Eurokaz, Zagreb; www.eurokaz.hr/novosti; TBA. June/July
International Children’s Festival, Sibenik; www.mdf-sibenik.hr; Jun 21-Jul 5.
International Puppet Theater Festival, Zagreb; http://public.carnet.hr/pif-festival/; Sep 8-14.
International Small Scenes Theatre Festival Rijeka, Rijeka; www.theatrefestival-rijeka.hr; Apr 30-May 8.
Zadar Snova International Festival of Contemporary Theater, Zadar; www.zadarsnova.hr; TBA.
Cyprus
International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama, Nicosia; www.cyprus-theatre-iti.org; TBA.
Czech Republic
Mezinarodni Festival Divadlo Theatre, Pilsen; www.festivaldivadlo.cz; TBA.
Prague Fringe Festival, Prague; www.praguefringe.com; May 23-31.
World Festival of Puppet Art Prague, Prague; www.wap-prague.org; TBA.
Denmark
Shakespeare at Hamlet’s Castle, Helsingør; www.hamletscenen.dk; Aug 1-10.
England
24:7 Theatre Festival, Manchester; www.247theatrefestival.co.uk; July 18-25.
Be Festival, Birmingham; befestival.org; July 2-13
Brighton Fringe, Brighton & Hove; www.brightonfringe.org; May 3-Jun 1.
Chorlton Arts Festival, Manchester; www.chorltonartsfestival.com; May 16-25.
City of London Festival, London; www.colf.org; Jun 22-Jul 17.
Globe to Globe, London; www.shakespearesglobe.com; May 5-Sep 6.
LIFT, London; www.liftfestival.com; May 19-July 6
Stockton International Riverside Festival, Stockton-on-Tees; www.sirf.co.uk; Jul 31-Aug 3.
Estonia
Tallinn Treff Festival, Tallinn; www.nukuteater.ee; Jun 5-8.
The Estonian Puppet and Youth Theatre, founded in 1952, has evolved as a place for innovative puppet drama and storytelling. Catering mostly to children, the theatre dominates the streets each summer with the Tallinn Treff Festival, which hosts street activities eliciting the feel of a traveling circus and carnival. This creative gathering is a true international affair, with companies from France, such as Philippe Genty, performing Forget Me Not, as well as Britain, Russia, Finland, Czech Republic, Italy and Spain traveling to Estonia to participate
Finland
Helsinki Festival, Helsinki; www.helsinkifestival.fi; Aug 15-31.
Jyväskylä Festival, Jyväskylä; www.jyvaskylankesa.fi; Jul 8-13.
Kuulas International Children’s Theatre Festival, Kouvola; www.kuulas.info; May 15-18.
Tampere Theatre Festival, Tampere; www.teatterikesa.fi; Aug 4-10.
Mukamas-International Puppet Theatre Festival, Tampere; www.festivals.fi; May 12-17
France
Chalon dans la Rue, Chalon sur Saône; www.chalondanslarue.com; Jul 23-27.
European Festival of the Performing Arts, Lyon and Rhône-Alpes region; www.europeetcies.eu; TBA.
Festival d’Avignon, Avignon; www.festival-avignon.com; Jul 4-27.
Festival d’Anjou, Angers; www.festivaldanjou.com; June 10-Jul 5.
Festival de Marseille, Marseille; www.festivaldemarseille.com; Jun 18-Jul 11.
Festival Off Avignon, Avignon; www.avignonleoff.com; Jul 5-27.
Paris Quartier d’Été, Paris; www.quartierdete.com; Jul 13-Aug 10.
Germany
International Mai Festival, Wiesbaden; www.maifestspiele.de; Apr 30-Jun 2.
Mülheimer Theatertage “Stücke”, Mülheim an der Ruhr; www.stuecke.de; May 17-Jun 7.
Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen, Recklinghausen; www.ruhrfestspiele.de; May 1-Jun 15.
RuhrTriennale, Gelsenkirchen; www.ruhrtriennale.de; Aug 15-Sep 28.
Theatertreffen, Berlin; www.berlinerfestspiele.de; May 2-18.
Tollwood Sommerfestival, Munich; www.tollwood.de; Jul 2-27.
Part music and theatre festival, part environmental awareness program, and part organic food and crafts market, the Tollwood Festival is a multifaceted cultural extravaganza. This once small, regional affair, founded in 1988, has grown into an event that welcomes 1.5 million attendees annually. Among the numerous events, Compagnie Luc Amoros’s Page Blanche attacks the sterility and alienation caused by cities lined with ads and billboards.
Westwind Festival of Theatre for Young Audiences, Bonn; www.westwind-festival.de; May 12-18
