With the Wiesbaden Summer Festival, the independent theater company kuenstlerhaus43 will be hosting an independent, regionally rooted yet nationally renowned theater festival for the 14th time in 2026. Since our founding in 2011, the Summer Festival has continued to evolve and has been firmly associated with Sonnenberg Castle as a unique performance venue since 2014. The historic castle, with its history spanning over 800 years, is far more than just a backdrop: it is an atmospheric resonant space, a place that fosters identity, and an experiential space all at once. In its interplay with contemporary and interactively staged theater, a form of cultural mediation emerges that directly appeals to people of different generations.

At the heart of the 2026 Wiesbaden Summer Festival is the new in-house production "Momo," based on the novel by Michael Ende. The play forms the artistic centerpiece of the festival and will be performed a total of 17 times—for schools, kindergartens, and families. This main production is complemented by a diverse supporting program featuring additional original productions and guest performances.

Momo: This material is of exceptional relevance, especially for a young audience. Children are growing up in a world where time is increasingly measured, compressed, and optimized. Daily routines are highly structured, expectations are high, and acceleration is taken for granted. At the same time, children experience very early on that time is subjective: it can race by or stand still, it can fulfill or burden, it can create a sense of security or generate a sense of lack. "Momo" makes this abstract, elusive dimension tangible through the senses and emotions. The play introduces children to a force that cannot be touched yet determines everyone’s life: time. For this reason, "Momo" is far more than just a literary adaptation for the stage.

In addition to Momo, our audience can look forward to fantastic artists from the region and beyond, who will enrich the festival with their performances.