FITS 2026
The Sibiu International Theatre Festival, Romania's most important theatre festival, is kicking off
Bogdan Matei, 18.06.2026, 13:50
In a country where the political circus threatens to suffocate everything, authentic theatre still preserves pockets where one can breathe freely. The Sibiu International Theatre Festival (FITS), held in central Romania, will bring together more than 5,000 artists from 83 countries between June 20 and 29 and will feature 848 events—eight more than the previous edition—announced its president and founder, actor Constantin Chiriac. This is the 33rd edition of the festival, regarded as the most important theatre festival in Romania and the third largest in Europe, after those in Avignon (France) and Edinburgh (Scotland).
And FITS isn’t just about theatre. The audience will have the opportunity to engage in dialogue with leading cultural figures during the event’s special conferences; among the announced guests are both international and local celebrities, such as directors Silviu Purcărete and Cristian Mungiu—who recently won an award at Cannes—actor Marcel Iureş, conductor Cristian Măcelaru, and choreographer Gigi Căciuleanu. “Year after year, we strive to expand this conference series, because the big names who come to Sibiu deserve to be discovered by the public in ways other than through the performances they act in or direct. It’s a unique opportunity to catch a glimpse into the soul of each artist who honours us with their presence,” said President Chiriac. Admission to all special lectures at FITS is free, subject to availability.
On the other hand, more than 350 undergraduate and graduate students, doctoral candidates, professors, and experts in the field of theatre from universities in Romania and other countries will participate in the Festival of Universities of Theatre and Cultural Management, also organized as part of FITS. According to the organizers, participants from the United States, the United Kingdom, Austria, Spain, Poland, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, South Korea, and China are expected in Sibiu. The program will feature 30 theatre, dance, and music performances, held both in theatres and online. Passengers using public transportation in Sibiu will be able to admire, through the end of summer, contemporary artworks displayed on the local bus company’s buses as part of the “Suflet de Compostor” project, which is also included in the FITS program.
The project, carried out in partnership with the RACOLAJ group, transforms the company’s buses into mobile contemporary art galleries. Over 50 collages created by artists from the Sibiu-based group are on display on public transportation vehicles via large stickers that reproduce the original works. Representatives of the local public transit company, Tursib, say the initiative is a first in Romania and Eastern Europe and aims to bring art closer to the public in a space accessible daily to tens of thousands of passengers. The original works and the project’s framework installation can also be viewed at an exhibition organized at the city’s Faculty of Letters and Arts.
