International May Festival 2026
With 270 artists from 28 countries, the festival celebrated its 130th anniversary from May 1 to 31 at the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden.
The International May Festival has always been a place where the great works of history and the latest interpretations of our time come together. With 270 artists from 28 countries, the festival celebrated its 130th anniversary from May 1 to 31, 2026—including a stylish “Déjeuner en blanc” at a long table in the theater colonnades on May 17.
Topic: This place is an archive
The festival’s theme was the archive—as a place of preservation, remembrance, and reflection. An archive that fosters identity while constantly evolving. Throughout its long history, the International May Festival has always served as an occasion for the people of Wiesbaden and international guests to bring together tradition and the present. Here, the great works of history and the latest interpretations by leading artists of our time come together. As a result, the festival itself functions as a living chronicle of theater, one that continues through countless encounters.
About the history of the May Festival
The International May Festival at the Hessian State Theater in Wiesbaden looks back on 130 years of history. It was founded in 1896 on the initiative of Emperor Wilhelm II and was intended to further enhance Wiesbaden's cultural status as a sophisticated spa town. From the very beginning, top-class international ensembles were invited to perform – opera performances in particular, featuring artists from Bayreuth, among others, shaped the program.
After interruptions during the two world wars, the festival was revived in 1950 as the "International May Festival." Since then, the festival has developed into one of the most renowned cultural festivals in Germany. Every year in May, the Wiesbaden State Theater brings outstanding opera, theater, dance, and concert productions from all over the world to its stages, combining tradition with contemporary accents.