On 4 and 5 September 2026, the Bauhaus Dessau will once again become a major stage: at the Bauhaus Festival 2026, contemporary circus, dance, music, performance and art will come together with the unique architecture of the world-famous Bauhaus building. Under the theme ‘Salto | Takt | Form’, visitors can look forward to two days of an extraordinary programme offering opportunities to watch, discover, get involved and celebrate.

The Bauhaus Festival is one of the highlights of the 100th anniversary year of the Bauhaus Dessau. Celebrations will take place in the Bauhaus building and across the entire Bauhaus site.

From the historic Bauhaus circus to the present day

As early as the 1920s, the Bauhaus community were fascinated by the circus. They were particularly captivated by its playful, experimental and imaginative possibilities. Circus motifs therefore also featured in the stage productions and at the legendary festivals held at the Bauhaus.

The Bauhaus Festival 2026 draws on this tradition and reinterprets it. International artists, universities, initiatives and cultural partners will transform the Bauhaus into a vibrant space full of movement, music and surprising encounters.

Circus, dance and extraordinary performances

On the stage of the Bauhaus building, students from international circus academies in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany will present the production ‘Formenspiele – Versuchsanordnung Zukunft’. The focus is on the body, materials and the unique space of the Bauhaus.

Historical precedents also play an important role. With ‘Tender Silliness / Zärtliche Albernheit’, graduates of the International Master’s Programme in Choreography at the Palucca University of Dance Dresden revisit a circus performance originally developed by Lou Scheper in 1926 for the opening of the Bauhaus in Dessau.

The Upsala-Circus Zeitz brings an immersive circus street performance to the site with ‘Heiterkeit’. Young performers from Dessau-Roßlau are also taking part: in ‘Archimagie!’, the Raxli Faxli Children’s and Youth Circus tells a story about balance, magic and community.

A special eye-catcher awaits guests at the studio building. For ‘EXTREM Hoch 4’, all the building’s balconies will, for the first time, form part of a dance and architectural performance. The piece combines inspiration from Oskar Schlemmer’s famous ‘Stäbetanz’ with elements of the Sorbian Easter clattering tradition.

The whole Bauhaus becomes a stage

At the Bauhaus Festival, it’s well worth exploring the grounds. After all, art and music aren’t confined to a traditional stage.

In the north wing, visitors can look forward to performances, sound installations and DJ sets. The ‘Performative Machines’ exhibition also explores issues surrounding humans and machines, artificial intelligence and open technologies.

On Saturday evening, the focus is very much on music and dance. Time Rag Department brings early forms of jazz and swing to the festival grounds. DJ Stephan Wuthe creates a Charleston, tango, swing and mambo atmosphere with music from original shellac records.

Further concerts and sound performances are spread across the Bauhaus building, the courtyard lawn, the bridge and the café-bistro.

For the fifth time, the Triadic Dance Club will also serve as a space for art, performance and parties. Young artists from Dessau, video installations and performances come together here with music and experimental formats.