#WillMatters. The International Shakespeare Festival is coming back with another spectacular edition in 2026
One of the most important festivals that was born in Craiova, the International Shakespeare Festival, returns this year with another spectacular edition, which promises to take over the entire city between May 21 and 31.
55 theater groups, 21 concerts, 79 shows and events, 9 locations in the city and, in total, over 450 events in the 11 days of the festival mean this year's edition. Tickets for its components, Shakespeare Core - the official selection of shows -, but also for Shakespeare Village, have been available for several weeks on the official website of the event.
The indoor performances part will bring together reference productions of Shakespearean opera, made by renowned companies from over 30 countries. Thus, plays such as “Titus Andronicus: Reborn” (Ryunosuke Kimura, Theatre Company KAKUSHINHAN), “II” (Frederick Abrahamse, ABRAHAMSE & MEYER PRODUCTIONS), “King Lear” (Silviu Purcărete, “Marin Sorescu” National Theatre Craiova), “Mercutio” (Kévin Olivier Salles — Collectif NOX), “Macbeth” (Sewan Latchinian, Hamburger Kammerspiele) will be performed on the city’s theatre stages. The entire program is available at the address below:
Shakespeare Village, a reproduction of a traditional English village from 1600, will be open again this year, in the hippodrome area of “Nicolae Romanescu” Park. During the day, theatre performances and artisans recreate the atmosphere of the Elizabethan era, and in the evenings, music concerts take place, bringing you back to the present and creating an arc over time between eras. Artists such as Coma, Luna Amară, Zdob și Zdub, Jurjak, Sarmalele Reci, White Mahala, Șuie Paparude, Mihail or Omul cu Șobolani are the ones who will take the stage in Shakespeare Village, and tickets, as well as the full program, can be found here:
Beyond these sections, as we said at the beginning, the entire city becomes a stage, and we, all, the actors. Shows, performances, street art, parades, installations will be able to be seen in the city squares, but also in the neighborhoods, as well as in the communes in the Craiova metropolitan area.
Access the official website, consult the program and choose your favourite events. Shakespeare in Craiova is always an experience that we are all part of, and our roles are equally well defined. Because will gives birth to matter, this year, in Craiova, we create memories and new experiences!