113 Best Performing Arts Venues in Germany

From Friday through Monday over Whitsun (Pentecost) weekend every year, the town celebrates the famous wager said to have saved it from destruction in 1631, at the height of the Thirty Years' War. A play of the events takes place every day, and handicraft and artisan markets, along with food stands, fill the town squares.

One of Germany's leading drama stages, Deutsches Schauspielhaus has been lavishly restored to its full 19th-century opulence. It's the most important venue in town for classical and modern theater.

The theater most renowned for both its modern and classical productions is the Deutsches Theater.

Meissen's cathedral, the Dom, has a yearlong music program, with organ and choral concerts every Saturday in summer.

For English-language productions, try the English Theatre, continental Europe's largest English-speaking theater, which offers an array of musicals, thrillers, dramas, comedies, and poetry readings with British or American casts. The bar, James, is open before and after performances.

The English Theatre presents dramas and comedies in English as well as hosting independent productions, concerts, events, and comedies for Berlin's international community.

The name says it all: the English Theatre, first opened in 1976, is the city's premier theater for works in English. Actors from near and far bring contemporary and classic drama to life on the small stage of this historic building.

The Aachen Symphony, along with touring bands and orchestras from across Europe, give regular concerts in Aachen's Eurogress convention center.

The huge glass-domed Festival Hall, commissioned by Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1905, is the scene of rock concerts, horse shows, ice shows, sporting events, circus and other large-scale spectaculars including trade fairs. It is on the city's fairgrounds, just 10 minutes from downtown by subway, and can seat 8,500 (13,500 standing). Tickets are available through Frankfurt Ticket, or at the on-site ticket office.

The city is the home of the Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt, part of Hessischer Rundfunk. Considered one of Europe's best orchestras, it performs regularly in the 850-seat Funkhaus am Dornbusch (Broadcasting House Dornbusch), formerly known as the Kammermusiksaal, part of that broadcasting operation's campuslike facilities.

While the enormous brick complex, which stands high above the Isar River in Haidhausen, is being renovated (scheduled through 2026), the former Gasteig Culture Center has a new name, Gasteig HP8, and a temporary home in the Sendling district, south of the City Center. The Munich Philharmonic Orchestra performs in the Isarphilharmonie, a new modern philharmonic hall, and there are other smaller venues on the site accommodating musical and theatrical performances and films. The Gasteig can be reached in about seven minutes by the U-Bahn from Marienplatz to Brudermühlstrasse station (U3), and from there it's about a five-minute walk.

For children's theater, head to the world-famous Grips Theater, whose musical hit Linie 1, about life in Berlin viewed through the subway, is just as appealing for adults.

One of the most beautiful theaters in the country, the Hamburgische Staatsoper is the leading northern German venue for opera and ballet.

This theater consists of three houses (HAU 1, 2, 3) within a five-minute walk of one another. Fringe theater, international modern dance, and solo performers share the stages.

This highly regarded orchestral and recital venue is in the former throne room of King Ludwig I, with walls adorned with beautiful tapestries depicting the Hercules saga.

Concerts, art exhibits, and wine festivals are held at the Herrenhof in the suburb of Mussbach. Owned by the Johanniter-Orden (Order of the Knights of St. John) from the 13th to 18th century, it's the oldest wine estate in the Pfalz, also home to a wine museum that displays 19th- and 20th-century winemaking equipment (open for groups with advance booking, or during various events). Contact the Neustadt tourist office for event program details and tickets.

The Hessian State Theater was built in neo-baroque style by two famous Viennese architects for Emperor Wilhelm II, and opened in 1894. Various extensions and reconstructions have been carried out since, and the frescos, stuccowork, and sculptures are a sight to behold. Classical and contemporary opera, theater, ballet, and musicals are presented on the theater's four stages.

The Internationales Theater Frankfurt bills itself as presenting \"the art of the world on the Main.\" It has regular performances in English, as well as in German, French, Spanish, Italian, Romanian, and Russian, plus concerts by international jazz, folk, and pop rock musicians. There also is a book-lined café, Cafe Litera.

The operas performed here are sung in their original language (with English subtitles available on a display on the seats), but the lavish and at times over-the-top and kitschy staging and costumes make for a fun night even if you don't speak the language.

The beautifully restored hall at Konzerthaus Berlin is a prime venue for classical music concerts.

This variety theater features a blend of circus, vaudeville, and comedy that is fairly accessible for non-German speakers.

Walk into the town-hall courtyard to enter the Kulturhof Flachsgasse, home of the city's art collection and special exhibitions.

Concerts and variously themed DJ nights are held at Kulturladen.

This cultural center hosts an eclectic mix of concerts of all kinds, as well as plays, dance performances, and exhibits.

Throughout the year, performances and events ranging from classical to contemporary are hosted at the Kurhaus, including performances from the Hessian State Orchestra, and the annual Wine Ball and New Year's Eve party. In addition, there are very occasional organ concerts in the Friedrich-von-Thiersch-Saal, which has been home to an organ since the Kurhaus was built in 1907. On open days, you can visit the organ room, which is usually closed to the public.

Both the Philharmoniker Hamburg (Hamburg Philharmonic) and the Hamburger Symphoniker (Hamburg Symphony) appear regularly in the magnificent neo-baroque interior of the Laeiszhalle, which also hosts international orchestras and some of the biggest names in contemporary music.

Enjoy opera in an intimate setting at the Lindauer Marionettenoper, where puppets do the singing and shows end with a charming backstage tour and Q&A with the puppeteers. Tickets are available online and at the Stadttheater box office.

If you don't get Wagner Festival tickets, console yourself with visits to the exquisite 18th-century opera house. In May the Fränkische Festwochen (Franconian Festival Weeks) take the stage with works of Wagner, of course, but also Paganini and Mozart.

German drama and opera are staged in this fine historic theater.