Divadelná Nitra Opens Its 35th Edition with Macbeth from War-Torn Kyiv, Despite Financial Crisis

The freedom of art has its price. Despite the financial crisis, Divadelná Nitra Theatre Festival will open its 35th edition with Macbeth from Kyiv torn by war

The festival that has been shaping Central Europe's cultural landscape for the past 35 years will launch its jubilee edition with no state grant support. For the first time in Slovak Arts Council's history, Divadelná Nitra received zero financing from this source. Over the previous 34 editions, free art in Nitra was enjoyed by 372,373 spectators; the festival presented 635 plays from 35 countries in its main programme.

Today's world faces rising pressure on freedom of speech and democratic values. This experience is shared by Slovak theatres and the festival itself – everyone in their own way. The 35th edition, entitled Budúcnosť je teraz! / Future is now!, responds to this with clear dramaturgy: it will open with Shakespeare's tragedy about the birth of tyranny, manipulation and the fall of power, performed by the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theatre in Kyiv.

The selection of the opening performance was not random. The story of ambition transformed into usurpation and easily-silenced truth will be brought to Nitra by performers whose country faces daily aggression and has been struggling for its survival for the last four years. A similar pattern of distorting truth and figures is visible in Slovak cultural policy: the festival, which did not receive a single euro from the Slovak Arts Council, finds itself inside the Council's own story of power, distortion and manipulation of facts.

"We did not want to give up. The programme we had prepared for months had to be adjusted after the Slovak Arts Council's decision. But what remains is brought with the same artistic bravery as at the start. Opening the festival with a production about the birth of tyranny, manipulation and reality distortion is a clear message: when even in Slovakia facts are being handled so 'freely', freedom in art must be defended not by silence, but by action," says Festival and Association Director Anna Šimončičová.

35th edition in facts and figures 

The Jubilee 35th Edition of International Theatre Festival Divadelná Nitra will take place from September 25th to September 29th, 2026 in a shorter, but artistically uncompromising emergency version. It is mainly thanks to special support of public and private sector, international partners and hundreds of individual donors. We express our sincere gratitude to all partners and donors for this special support and solidarity. 

The crisis version of the festival is going to bring abbreviated programme. Currently, there are five productions resonating in Europe missing in comparison with the original curator selection: from Austria, Germany, Poland, Georgia and one form the Czech Republic. It would not have been possible to stage these performances without a grant from Slovak Arts Council. 

Festival is created with close cooperation with Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra who is its main co-organiser and who provides important partner support. It is going to host the majority of productions within in its own premises, including their own performance and a guest performance by Divadlo Na zábradlí Theatre. 

International festival Divadelná Nitra 2026 will take place for the first time under new direction – the position of director has been taken over from Darina Kárová by Anna Šimončičová after 34 years. Darina Kárová has become a Chairwoman of the Divadelná Nitra Association Board, the festival’s main organiser. 

The curators of 35th edition’s programme is a theatrologist and editorial specialist Romana Štorková Maliti, and a theatre critic and reviewer Miro Zwiefelhofer. A new feature of this year's edition is the position of junior Programme Board member, which was filled for the first time by Paula Lopatovská, a theatrology student at Academy of Performing Arts. It thus builds on the association’s long-standing effort to systematically train a new generation of cultural managers and programme curators. A broad group of consultants from abroad and Slovakia also participates in the programme’s selection process.

The crisis version of the festival brings an abbreviated programme. Compared to the original curatorial selection, five productions resonating across Europe are missing — from Austria, Germany, Poland, Georgia, and a second title from the Czech Republic. Staging them was not possible without a grant from the Slovak Arts Council.

Manipulators in your mobile phones, in radio and in the family

Opening performance Macbeth (Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theatre) transforms mythical witches into three screens that follow, mark and influence every main hero’s step. Human actions are not influenced by magical powers, but algorithms, information streams and psychological operations. Last but not least, the production tables a question how does a man’s personality change after the experience in a warzone. The performance is presented with financial support and at the initiative of the Ukrainian Institute, and with the support of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Slovak Republic. The presentation of Ukrainian theatre reflects the 35th anniversary of Ukraine's independence. It is in festival’s programme on September 25th. 

The main programme continues with My struggle. A man in love (Na zábradlí Theatre, Prague, September 26th), Ota (The Jozef Gregor Tajovský Theatre, Zvolen, September 27th), Roar, Scream and Dirt (Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra, September 28th), and closes with Molière's Tartuffe (Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin, September 29th). 

Within the second edition of the Práve vytvorené / Just Created line — through which the festival has shifted from its traditional curatorial role to that of co-producer — it presents two world premieres by independent Slovak artists: The Happy Brain (Uhol_92, September 25th and 26th) and The Ballad for a Weed Girl (Schwarzes Loch Europas, September 27th).

Ticket sales started on August 12th, 2026 at www.nitrafest.sk

Decisions about the future of Divadelná Nitra are being made (also) right now

Alongside preparations for the 35th edition, the festival is also working on long-term sustainability. Despite support from several partners, around a quarter of the total budget still needs to be covered from other sources. Fundraising campaigns continue on the Darujme.sk and StartLab platforms alongside negotiations with foreign cultural institutes and private companies for 2027.

So far, 175 donors have raised €9,367 through StartLab. The campaign continues with a third milestone of €15,000 (by October 5th, 2026), directly linked to covering the costs of staging the opening production. Visitors can also support the festival directly by purchasing a "Support Ticket – A Share in Freedom" for €50; the difference compared to the standard price helps cover the shortfall caused by this year's loss of state funding.

A detailed programme and press materials are available in our press kit.

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