Bábkarská Bystrica puppet festival celebrates 25th anniversary

The international puppet theatre festival Bábkarská Bystrica will celebrate its 25th anniversary in Banská Bystrica from October 1 to 4, 2026. Under the subtitle ‘mini’, this jubilee edition will feature 14 performances by ten theatre groups from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland, and France.

The festival focuses on the youngest audience members aged 0 to 6, as well as their parents and educators. Due to a challenging financial situation in the cultural sector, the event will be held on a smaller scale than originally planned, supported significantly by the Banská Bystrica Self-Governing Region.

Key participating groups include Divadlo Drak from Hradec Králové, France’s Compagnie Lamento, Naivní divadlo Liberec, and Poland’s Art Fraction Foundation. Local Slovak representation includes ODIVO, Divadlo Pôtoň, and Bábkovo divadlo na Rázcestí. The program includes premieres, workshops, discussions, and the launch of a new Central European CZ–PL–SK platform dedicated to creating content for children aged 0 to 6.

Venues for the festival include Bábkovo divadlo na Rázcestí, Divadlo Štúdio tanca, and Záhrada – Centre nezávislej kultúry.