Craiova International Shakespeare Festival 2026 presents the sections that bring theatre into the heart of the city and its communities: Shakespeare Squares and Shakespeare Metropolitan. Between May 21 and 31, Shakespeare steps out of traditional theatre venues and into public squares, neighborhoods, metropolitan-area communities, and Promenada Mall Craiova, through free performances and events that transform familiar places into stages for play, imagination, and participation.
Under the theme “WILL matters” the 2026 edition develops the festival as an urban and community-driven experience. Following the announcement of Shakespeare Core and Shakespeare Village, the spotlight now turns to the program that expands Craiova’s cultural map and brings the performing arts closer to audiences, in the vibrant rhythm of the city.
Shakespeare Squares: Craiova’s Public Squares Become Urban Stages
In Shakespeare Squares, the city itself becomes both scenery and creative partner in performances taking place at William Shakespeare Square, Mihai Viteazul Square, Frații Buzești Square, and Casa Băniei, every afternoon throughout the festival, free of charge and outdoors. The program brings together theatre, performance art, contemporary circus, roaming installations, music, games, and participatory experiences in a journey designed for everyone.
“The Dance of the Flying Fire” and “Circurios” (Flare Performance, Austria) combine aerial dance and fire arts, “Out of the Deep Blue” (Autin Dance Theatre, United Kingdom) merges interactivity with choreographic duet performance, while “Ganda – The Rhinoceros” (Teatro delle Isole, Italy) brings a giant animated figure into the heart of the city. In a more intimate format, “Poetic Streets” (Rusty Brass, Italy) gradually builds a collective revelation around poetry, while in “Written Portraits”, the performance by Argentine artist Ox Maló, the spectators themselves become the main characters. “Shakespeare on Stilts” (Alessandro Berardi) carries the great playwright through the festival spaces in surprise appearances. At Casa Băniei, Shakespeare Imaginarium presents a series of productions inspired by iconic texts, directed by Anca Sigartău: “Romeo and Juliet,” “The Taming of the Shrew,” “The Merchant of Venice,” and “Desdemona’s Handkerchief”.
Shakespeare Metropolitan: The Festival Reaches Neighborhoods and Surrounding Communities
Shakespeare Metropolitan takes the festival beyond the city center, into Craiova’s neighborhoods and neighboring communes, through pop-up performances and local artistic interventions.
In the districts of Brazdă, Craiovița, Rovine, Valea Roșie, 1 Mai, and Youth Park, theatre no longer waits for audiences inside a venue—it goes directly to them through children’s workshops, performances created by the more than 160 international students present in Craiova, and national and international productions. Among the featured performances are “Accelerated Shakespeare” (Darko Huruială, Romania), a mobile theatrical intervention; “Mariolino Plays Yorick” (Silvia Ripamonti, Italy), a playful and dance-inspired reinterpretation of Yorick through a string puppet; and “Voilà – Magic Without Tricks” (Stefano Dalessandro, Italy), built around improvisation, magic, and direct interaction with the audience.
The Shakespeare Metropolitan Caravan returns on tour between May 23 and 31, reaching the communities surrounding Craiova: Pielești, Malu Mare – Preajba, Podari, Bucovăț, Breasta, Ișalnița, Șimnicu de Sus – Albești, Mischii, and Ghercești, following the 61 localities already visited. The free outdoor events include interactive theatre workshops for children and teenagers, the recital “Shakespeare Gallery: Itinerant Sonnets,” and the comedy performance “Reduced Shakespeare,” presented in a mobile and accessible format. The initiative continues the festival’s commitment to cultural democratization, facilitating encounters with the work of William Shakespeare in areas with limited access to theatre infrastructure and transforming proximity into a genuine opportunity for participation.
Shakespeare at Promenada Mall Craiova: A Key Festival Hub
In 2026, Promenada Mall Craiova, part of the NEPI Rockcastle portfolio, becomes one of the key locations of the Festivalul Internațional Shakespeare. Between May 22 and 31, the venue will host numerous free performances and events designed for all age groups.
The Shakespeare at Promenada Mall Craiova program includes more than 30 puppet shows, magic performances, acrobatics, roaming performances, participatory interventions, exhibitions, and creations by international students from the Erasmus+ Shakespeare section, involving dozens of artists. Audiences will be able to experience “Kuthi” (Tricktrek Theatre, Estonia), a medieval wooden castle animated by puppets; “Love and Salt” (DUO UN PIE, Argentina), an acrobatic comedy about two sailors in love; and “Wonderwalks” (International Show Parade), a visual journey among mystical creatures and millions of soap bubbles. The venue will also host the premiere of “Bubu Dreams”, by the Comic Opera for Children in Bucharest, presented within the Shakespeare Kids section. Created for children aged 0 to 3, the production invites young audiences and their parents into an enchanted forest inspired by “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” with multiple performances on May 29, 30, and 31.
Shakespeare Dimensions returns with Episode 2, continuing the exploration of the universe of “The Tempest” through an immersive experience at Promenada Mall Craiova. Set within a space of approximately 200 square meters, the project presents an interactive installation in which famous paintings inspired by “The Tempest” come to life through a video journey created by Aural Eye Studio and sound design by Costas Ivanov, based on the music of Jean Sibelius. Spectators become part of the installation’s visual and sonic universe, influencing the imagery through their own movements and transforming each visit into a unique encounter.
Throughout the festival, the Shakespeare Teen multimedia installation in Mihai Viteazul Square, created with the participation of more than 1,000 students from 52 schools and high schools in Dolj County, transforms public space into a stage for the imagination of the younger generation, inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The installation is produced with the support of Promenada Mall Craiova and NEPI Rockcastle.
The full program of the Festivalul Internațional Shakespeare 2026 sections is available here. Alongside Shakespeare Core, Shakespeare Village, Shakespeare Squares, and Shakespeare Metropolitan, this year’s edition also highlights sections dedicated to children, teenagers, seniors, students, academia, film, visual arts, and contemporary dramaturgy. Between May 21 and 31, Craiova transforms into a living territory of imagination, where Shakespeare feels more relevant than ever.
