Events

What does a quarter-century of inclusive cultural work mean? The anniversary exhibition showcases every aspect of 25 years of Sommerblut—completely candidly, including all the beautiful and challenging moments. Whether through sight, sound, or touch: experience the festival’s origins and evolution through multimedia, participatory, and accessible formats, including both standard and simplified language. Because Sommerblut is all of us.

Why do we remain silent, and who benefits from it? In the powerful performance “Silence,” women* incarcerated in two women’s prisons raise their voices. Through words, movement, and silence, they speak of dignity, the joy of life, and the shame that lies on the wrong side. A polyphonic chorus about solidarity and the moment when silence must be broken.

What remains when war shatters a life story? Amid hospital corridors and prosthetic fittings, Ukrainian veterans wage a new, invisible battle for their dignity. In a fast-paced, tragic revue of song and storytelling, the ensemble transforms trauma into radical self-assertion. An invitation to bridge the distance from war and rethink solidarity as an encounter.
 

An inclusive, multimedia production based on Édouard Louis’s bestseller: Through an immersive interplay of memory, video, and sound, the painful reality of how political decisions leave their mark on people’s bodies becomes palpable. An evening exploring economic violence and the search for a solution rooted in solidarity.

What gives us a sense of grounding when exhaustion and powerlessness set in? HOPE is an immersive landscape of hope composed of dance, light, and the voices of women and gender-nonbinary individuals between the ages of 15 and 100. Moving beyond naive optimism, hope is experienced here as a quiet yet resilient practice. An invitation to immerse oneself in a polyphonic soundscape where movement and documentary merge, and one’s own capacity for action can be rediscovered.

What happens when perfection meets resistance? Inspired by the cyberpunk cultural movement, this performance challenges neoliberal and ableist norms. Danijel Sesar reinterprets a solo by Céline Bellut, celebrating fragility and imperfection as acts of rebellion. A hybrid blend of choreography and video that liberates the body from the pressure to perform and from standardization.

What does modern mourning look like? The multimedia art installation EchoTrace transforms a senior living facility in Cologne into an immersive space exploring touch and memory. Performance, video interviews, and virtual reality merge into a journey across different worlds. Whether through in-person encounters or virtual avatars, the audience becomes part of a process that redefines farewell and connection.
 

How much resistance lies within a body? Directed by Willie Stark, this dance piece physically explores erasure, oppression, and control. When stagnation turns into movement, endurance becomes strength. A choreography that demands to be seen, heard, and felt—a powerful act of reclaiming space and voice.

In “Like Lovers Do,” Sivan Ben Yishai dissects the language of love. Radical, poetic, and unsettling, the play reveals just how deeply romantic imagery is permeated by possessiveness and violence. Navigating the spectrum between tenderness and brutality, the romantic relationship becomes a mirror of societal power structures.

Amid construction debris and highway noise, KALKPARK 3001 creates performative havens of local recreation on Cologne’s Kalkberg. Guided by an audio walk, visitors discover a “vacation resort” of a special kind, learn about the history of this little-known spot in our city, and celebrate idleness as an act of resistance.
 

The Rhineland mining region is undergoing a radical transformation: where coal was once mined, new habitats are emerging. THE BIRDS REPUBLIC invites you on a theatrical bus tour through this landscape in transition. Together with experts, activists, and local residents, we take a bird’s-eye view of the region’s future. A journey that blends documentary and utopia, taking us straight to the heart of this transformation.

Cologne is a diverse city, but is that diversity reflected in its cultural offerings? Studio Audience invites cultural professionals to take a fresh look at urban society through statistics and real-life perspectives. The focus is on young adults: What does the “audience of the future” really need? A concise exploration of cultural participation and the courage to speak with people rather than about them.

In her award-winning film *The Tuba Thieves* (USA 2023), Alison O’Daniel takes us on a ten-year journey through the soundscapes of California. Amid stolen instruments, punk gigs, and sign language poetry, a cinematic essay emerges that turns conventional perceptions of sound and silence on their head. A sensory experience exploring the power of Deaf Gain, followed by a discussion with experts.

“Tell Me Why. AIDS in 1980s Cologne” presents a fictional celebrity biography that stands in for the many people living with AIDS who were unable to come to terms with themselves, their sexuality, or the disease—the social stigma was simply too great. Together with experts, however, the topic is also brought into the here and now: Has the disease lost its terror? What is life like with HIV today? Unnerving—and unexpectedly entertaining.

The “Balmy Army” is an art, activism, and care project for angry young people. Using art as a political tool, it advocates for better mental health support. Since 2022, young people, artists, and activists have been connecting through this initiative. In 2026, the project will come to Cologne, where young people from the Karl-Immanuel-Küpper Foundation will make their demands visible in public spaces.

Words that cut deep, whether at school, in everyday life, or on the street. Whether comments about appearance or identity: exclusion leaves its mark. In the participatory project GENERATION WIDERSTAND, young people in 9th grade and up transform their experiences into dance, music, and theater. A safe space for their own voices and new perspectives. An evening about courage, empowerment, and the power to break the silence.

“Are you a person of solidarity, or are you a jerk?” – Heidi Reichinnek places this radical question at the heart of a search for genuine solidarity. In a performance, young people and actors explore what solidarity actually means today. Amid fear and division, an intense evening unfolds, exploring courage, hope, and the question of how we want to live together in the future.

Rising from the streets of Maputo is “Dzudza”: a contemporary dance piece about community, pride, and resilience. Body, song, and movement merge into a poetic response to a fragmented world. Inspired by Mozambican traditions and urban energy, the group Converge+ celebrates the German premiere of “Dzudza” at the Sommerblut Festival.

To kick off the supporting program, the Sommerblut Cultural Festival invites you to a panel discussion titled “Solidarity Under Pressure – Responsibility in Culture.” Participants include festival director Rolf Emmerich, activist Joana Peprah, and Tina Sanders from mittendrin e. V. Together, they will discuss the role of culture in times of social crisis and how solidarity can be put into practice in the cultural sector.

Rhythm migrates, adapts, and connects heartbeats. In “something shared,” Anna Lublina explores shared musical roots with Jewish and Palestinian artists, among others. Blending tap dance and song, the performance evokes Jewish-Muslim worlds beyond borders and nationalism. An artistic experiment that, in times of division, seeks out what unites us.

Raúl Krauthausen’s podcast “Im Aufzug” is coming to Cologne for a live recording. His conversation with deaf activist Katrin Maag (Katrin Aimee) will focus on disability, feminism, and solidarity. The live recording, part of the Sommerblut Cultural Festival, promises an insightful, personal, and passionate discussion about inclusion and social change.

Inspired by Pier Paolo Pasolini’s homage to Antonio Gramsci, Michael Turinsky examines the “working body.” Blurring the lines between concert, dance, and political agitation, the performance challenges the distinction between mental and manual labor. “Work Body” places disabled and working bodies at the center and explores solidarity-based desire beyond capitalist exploitation.

Colorful, loud, and impossible to miss: On May 24, Cologne-Mülheim will become the venue for Mad Pride—a powerful demonstration for the rights and visibility of people with mental health experiences and disabilities. From Wiener Platz to Schauspiel Köln, a space of solidarity will be created for diverse life realities—barrier-free, accompanied by the Kwaggawerk art orchestra, and capped off by an open-air program featuring guests such as Raúl Krauthausen. An invitation to take to the streets together for genuine participation and to celebrate diversity with a loud voice.
 

Straight from the demonstration to the stage: Starting at 3:30 p.m., BIG BÄÄM will transform the Carlsgarten in front of the Schauspiel Köln into a festival of diversity. Look forward to insightful reflections from Raúl Krauthausen and a musical program that gets under your skin—from the hip-hop flows of VAVUNETTHA to the neurodivergent sounds of Tobias Leifeld & ELENN, all the way to the pop sounds of the ESG Choir. An invitation to celebrate together, listen, and experience solidarity beyond barriers in the great outdoors.

“What is left” explores the beauty and brutality of the everyday social fashion shows that take place around the world. The performance examines how frontal, classroom-like spatial structures shape our culture of communication. Somewhere between a fashion runway and a military parade, between passive voyeurism and interdependent solidarity, five performers hold up a mirror to society with their radically focused presence.

From peaceful protests in 2020 to radical rage in 2025: With “REVOLUTION,” the four-member collective GRENZKONTROLLE delivers the manifesto of a generation on the brink. Blending New German Wave vibes with US rap fury, singer Gaspár Ali denounces unaffordable housing and social indifference. A musical demolition for everyone who can no longer—or no longer wants to—look away. Explosive, political, and absolutely essential right now!