We’re speechless! The three days at the theatre flew by and we’re incredibly grateful for the incredible work everyone put in, both on stage and behind the scenes! With every act, you could really feel the passion and all the time that had gone into the preparations! Now we all just need to recover from our festival high 🙂

Friday, 8 am behind the Münster Theatre: Here we go – the gates are open! We’ve set up shop at the theatre entrance (picture on the left), through which we’ll be ushering over 600 students for the next three days. Cables are being laid, final procedures are being rehearsed, lights are being adjusted, and up on the fourth floor the coffee machines are already heating up – are you as excited as we are?

We met at the Studiobühne one last time to sort out any remaining issues, pass on the latest information and take a deep breath together before the actual festival gets underway. Where can we park? How do I get my drum kit from A to B? Which dressingroom are we in again? Two years of preparations are slowly drawing to a close – there are now just over two weeks to go before the theatre doors open for us. We’re all really excited and looking forward to it!

Today, 1st April, presale begins! You can buy tickets here: https://www.theater-muenster.com/produktionen/neue-waende-2026-1090.html.

With NEUE WÄNDE 2026…goes Europe, we are not only breaking down the barriers between different cultural genres, but also those between countries: this year, five of our acts – comprising a total of 43 students – from Münster’s twin towns of Enschede (The Isotopes), York (Hillfort), Kristiansand (Magnhild), Lublin (Julia Milewska) and Vinnytsia (Leontovich Capela)! Then, in May, we’ll all say together: Doek op, Curtain up, Teppet opp, Kurtyna w górę and Завісу підняти – Curtain up for NEUE WÄNDE 2026!

By the deadline at the end of November, almost 50 projects had applied to participate in the NEUE WÄNDE festival. We are overwhelmed by so much creativity and feel very fortunate as festival organisers. It will be colourful, classic and modern, with moments of reflection and performances full of fun – once again an impressive cross-section of campus culture in Münster. We are particularly delighted to welcome guests from Münster’s twin towns of Enschede, York, Kristiansand, Lublin and Vinnytzia – what better way to demonstrate solidarity across national borders than by celebrating and making music together.

Now it’s time for detailed planning. In order to make the most of the stage time on the three days of the festival, the set-up and dismantling of the individual acts must be precisely planned and coordinated. The projects are therefore currently dealing with a long list of preparatory questions: How many people will be on stage? Are props needed? Who needs microphones? What kind of lighting is desired? – all things that need to be carefully prepared in advance so that everything can run professionally in May.

The third and final preparatory meeting for the NEUE WÄNDE festival once again brought together students—those who have been working on projects since the summer and those who are looking to take to the stage with new ideas. This marked the end of the discovery phase for the Münster projects. Over the next few months, the focus will be on turning the ideas into stage-ready programmes. This is not just a matter of rehearsing music, lyrics and dance steps. To ensure that the lights come on at the right moment, the right music is played and the props are ready, the groups must provide detailed information. There will be no time for extensive rehearsals during the festival weekend, so it will be one dress rehearsal and then it’s straight into the deep end. But one thing is already certain: NEUE WÄNDE 2026 will offer a vibrant kaleidoscope across the arts.

The second preparatory meeting for NEUE WÄNDE 2026 was also full of creative energy. Shortly before the semester break, however, things became more concrete: Who already has a project in mind? Who is working with whom? Who is still looking for collaborators for their ideas? It became clear that a lot has developed since the meeting in May, but that there is still plenty of room for new ideas. The discussions were correspondingly lively – first in a large group on the studio stage and then in small groups over drinks and snacks. The key points of the program are slowly becoming apparent.

Cornelia Kupferschmid and her team are also in contact with those who were unable to attend the meetings in May or July. Sometimes it’s coffee dates, sometimes open appointments, sometimes a quick chat after performances – the festival is taking every opportunity to get the musicians, dancers, and theater people among Münster’s students excited about the NEUE WÄNDE festival.

On May 22 creatives from all artistic disciplines came together to get to know one another. Cornelia Kupferschmid opened the evening with a brief introduction to the concept and organisational framework of the NEUE WÄNDE 2026 festival. Then the creative work began: like speed dating, participants regrouped on red carpet dots and brainstormed ideas for what they could present together on stage. After showcasing their results, everyone had the chance to explore the project ideas further over drinks and snacks. Perhaps some of those ideas will appear on stage in May 2026. But the festival journey isn’t over: on July 16 there’s another opportunity to soak up the evening’s energy. Bring your openness to new experiences – anything goes.