Program EN – La Strada

La Strada Graz

31 July –
8 August 2026

International festival of street art, puppet theatre, contemporary circus and community art

How quickly nine festival days can fly by!

We would like to thank everyone who once again made La Strada such a special and wonderful experience – and celebrate what we created together.

First of all, our heartfelt thanks go to our audience, who place their trust in our work year after year. Our deepest appreciation goes to the artists, whose incredible creativity never ceases to enrich La Strada; to the many participants who took part and played such an important role in shaping this year’s programme; and to the entire festival team, whose enthusiasm carries La Strada and makes it what it is: a week filled with warm encounters, inspired people and inspiring art.

And of course, our loyal partners make an essential contribution to the festival that goes far beyond financial support. Their long-standing – or newly established – commitment once again made La Strada possible this year. Thank you!

And for anyone who can’t get enough of La Strada, here’s our top tip for autumn:

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Marie-Theres Härtel & Band: Dachsteinklang
Concerts in November 2026

The mountain resonates: as home, as danger, as silence and as a call. Seven musicians give the musical dialects of the Dachstein region a voice entirely their own, rooted in tradition yet distinctly modern. As part of Signal vom Dachstein, a project close to our hearts, Marie-Theres Härtel spent three years developing this extraordinary work, bridging Alpine musical traditions and the precision of chamber music.

Following its world premiere in 2024, the multi-instrumentalist will once again bring this richly layered composition to the stage with her seven-piece ensemble in November 2026:

Friday, 6.11.2026: Öblarner Haus für alle / 7:30 PM
Tickets: Online or by +43664 86 00 300 or tickets@kultur.st
organised by: [ku:L] – Kunst & Kulturhaus Öblarn

Saturday, 7.11.2026: Greith Haus, St. Ulrich in Greith / 7:30 PM
Tickets: by email to reservierungen@greith-haus.at

A look back to La Strada 2026

teil:haben | taking part

A lot was going on in the city this summer. People stretched out on the ground, using their bodies to measure public space. Others moved through the streets one after another, balancing stones on their heads. Still others carried their tubas and triangles towards Freiheitsplatz. Some have been artists; many have simply been residents or visitors eager to take part in the festival. But more on that later.

As every year, the festival opened on the stage of the Graz Opera House. With Möbius, the 19-member French Collectif XY created a bold fusion of acrobatics, dance and poetry, dissolving the boundaries between artistic disciplines. Their inspiration comes from natural phenomena, such as the wonderfully fluid movements of birds and fish in flocks and schools. An ode to the resilience of individuals within a community. Circus Ronaldo, already well known and much loved by our audiences, returned with their circus tent with its new production Da Capo. Combining tradition with a contemporary perspective, the performance brought the commedia dell’arte of centuries past vividly back to life. At the same time, it told the company’s own story – a story spanning seven generations and 180 years, filled with wonder, passion and coincidence. At Next Liberty theatre, Frédérique Cournoyer Lessard reflected on what it meant to be different and to find one’s own path. Combining a theatrical monologue with captivating aerial hoop acrobatics, SCUSE has been a profoundly moving and richly layered work. A very special performance awaited us in the Graz Botanical Garden: A MOMENT’S NOTICE by Alex Deutinger & Alexander Gottfarb. In this co-production with La Strada, strange creatures became mirrors of their surroundings – and of those they encounter.

This year, more than ever, La Strada invited audiences to actively take part. In workshops, residents became co-creators in the artistic process. During the first phase of Graz on the Move, participants worked alongside Johannes Bellinkx & Benjamin Vandewalle to develop a choreography for and with public space. In his participatory performance Care to carry, Dutch artist Nick Steur explored mindfulness and responsibility towards others. In collaboration with Caritas Steiermark and local participants, Zwermers have been developing Worn out?, a textile portrait of the city. At Freiheitsplatz, audiences became part of the performance as they were invited to make music together with Compagnie du Coin.

The community art project Signal vom Dachstein, launched around the glacier in 2021, made its way to Graz this year. It has been presented as an audiovisual installation at Atelier Jungwirth.

We would like to thank our wonderful audience, all the artists and our fantastic team for an inspiring La Strada 2026!

Werner Johannes Schrempf | Artistic Director

A look back to La Strada 2026

Here you’ll find an overview of the La Strada Graz 2026 programme. Explore the projects and browse our programme booklet and festival newspaper (in German):

Festival Newspaper

Program Folder