For the eighteenth time, Kraków transforms into the theatrical capital of Europe. The Divine Comedy International Theatre Festival is an event that electrifies the city annually—drawing audiences, critics, and renowned creators from across the globe. For ten days, the city pulses with the energy of performances, artistic encounters, and premieres that set the tone for what is most intriguing in contemporary theatre.

The guiding theme of this edition is "Waiting for the Barbarians"—a motif that subtly reflects the anxieties of the modern world. As Festival Director Bartosz Szydłowski emphasizes, it is artists who today can most accurately describe what is difficult and point a way through chaos and fear. Divine Comedy is meant to be a space for catharsis—and an opportunity to view reality from an entirely new perspective.

This year’s edition opens with a special event: the Polish premiere of the high-profile production A Year Without Summer, directed by Florentina Holzinger. This uncompromising artist employs an entirely new theatrical language, generating widespread interest in her work—representatives of theaters and festivals from all over Europe are arriving for the Kraków performances. Co-produced by Divine Comedy, the play is a monumental tale of our collective fears: from the most ancient, rooted in the female body, to the contemporary—born in the shadow of new technologies.
We also invite you to a meeting with Florentina Holzinger: December 5th at 7:30 PM at the ICE Congress Centre.

Divine Comedy features over 30 titles and more than 40 performances from Poland and abroad. The program—traditionally divided into three main currents: INFERNO, PURGATORIO, and PARADISO—guides the audience through various levels of theatrical experience. In INFERNO, competition titles vie for awards; PURGATORIO opens a wide field for diverse forms and artistic experiments; while PARADISO is dedicated to young creators who are just blazing their artistic trails.

The Festival traditionally extends beyond the stage as well. The program includes post-show meetings with artists, discussions referencing the guiding theme—"Waiting for the Barbarians"—and debates concerning, for instance, Silesian and Ukrainian threads appearing in selected performances.

Divine Comedy also encompasses special events: the Postpornoterrorismo program—a cycle of performances prepared exclusively for this festival—the Hoson Zes / Shine concert by the Chorea Theatre, and the "Barbarian Cinema" film review, during which Łukasz Maciejewski will present films by Krystian Lupa and Anna and Wilhelm Sasnal, among others.

The Festival Centre, located in the Bunkier Sztuki Gallery by the Planty, will serve as a daily landmark for attendees. Next door, at Bunkier Cafe, the Festival Club operates—a space for discussion, informal meetings, and the final gala, during which the main prize will be awarded: the Divine Comedian statuette, along with many others. The recipients will be decided by an international Jury.

The commencing Divine Comedy promises an intense time for theatre lovers—a time when diverse scenic languages meet in one city, and post-show discussions can be as heated as the premieres themselves. Accompanying events can be followed on our Facebook profile. The last remaining tickets (and top-quality Coffee Grange official festival coffee; 15% off with the code BOSKA) can be purchased at the Festival Centre and at bilety.boskakomedia.pl.

The Divine Comedy International Theatre Festival has been organized by the Łaźnia Nowa Theatre in Kraków continuously since 2008. It is one of the largest theatre festivals in Europe. The Festival is funded by the City of Kraków. Strategic Partner: Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Operational Partners: Polish Tourism Organisation and Poland Travel. Co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund—a state special-purpose fund. The production of A Year Without Summer is co-financed by the Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation.

Disclaimer: This content has been translated automatically.