Credit: Ali Sahib, Chronicle.lu

On Tuesday 12 May 2026, the Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg presented its programme for the 2026/27 season during a press conference held at the Grand Théâtre in Luxembourg-Limpertsberg.

The presentation introduced the main thematic focuses of the upcoming programme, such as justice, inclusion, adolescence, LGBTQ+ representation and theatre as a social space.

The event opened with a performance by students from the Conservatoire de la Ville de Luxembourg before Artistic Director and General Manager Tom Leick-Burns delivered keynote remarks in Luxembourgish, French and English.

He described theatre as “a place where you can come, where you can get to know the other” and stressed the importance of cultural spaces during periods of social and political tension. He added: “In times where hate speech and violence are amplified in our streets and on social media, it is very important for us to maintain and celebrate theatre as a place of sharing.”

Tom Leick-Burns also highlighted Luxembourg’s continued support for the arts at a time when many European theatres face financial and political pressures. “I realise that we have a huge privilege here in Luxembourg, to have adequate resources to carry out ambitious and committed programming and also the freedom of artistic expression that is guaranteed,” he noted.

The director announced that the season would continue the theatre’s focus on adolescence and youth engagement through collaborations with students and emerging artists from the conservatory.

The thematic cycles will include “Objection: A Question of Justice”, which will explore issues surrounding law, morality and social inequality through productions examining violence, discrimination, abuse of power and collective responsibility. Another major focus, “Generations of Love”, will feature LGBTQ+ stories.

Right after a video trailer featuring excerpts from productions planned for the upcoming season, Mathieu Doucet, Director of the Opéra national de Lorraine, one of France’s prominent regional opera houses, joined the stage.

In his speech Mathieu Doucet described artistic freedom in Europe as “a privilege that has become rare” and praised the Luxembourg theatre’s “artistic requirement and openness”.

Together, they presented opera and musical programme productions including Otello, Candide and Iphigénie en Tauride.

The English-language programme, will feature:

  • The Other Place, written and directed by Alexander Zeldin. It explores family tensions, grief and social division through the story of two sisters reuniting after the death of a parent. The production will take place at the Grand Théâtre on Thursday 1 and Friday 2 October 2026 at 19:30;

  • I Can Die Too, written by Frances Ruffelle, Sally George and Alan Cumming. It combines live music and theatre in a backstage story loosely inspired by Jean Cocteau’s La Voix Humaine. The production follows an actress during a rehearsal as fiction and reality begin to blur. The show will take place at the Théâtre des Capucins in Luxembourg-Ville on Thursday 19, Friday 20 and Saturday 21 November 2026 at 19:30;

  • Julius Caesar, directed by Arthur Nauzyciel, reimagines Shakespeare’s political tragedy during the Kennedy era of the 1960s, combining themes of democracy, power and political ambition with a live jazz atmosphere inspired by American political thrillers. The production will take place at the Grand Théâtre on Thursday 28, Friday 29 and Saturday 30 January 2027 at 19:30;

  • Pericles, adapted by Sami Ibrahim and directed by Richard Twyman, places Shakespeare’s epic story within contemporary refugee routes across Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Libya and Greece, focusing on displacement, separation and survival. Performed in English, the production will take place at the Grand Théâtre Studio on Wednesday 14, Thursday 15 and Friday 16 April 2027 at 19:30;

  • The Animal Room by Martin Crimp. It blends theatre and live music in a philosophical exploration of artificial intelligence, ecological collapse and human identity. Directed by Christian Lapointe, the production follows a woman moving between the worlds of animals and AI. The show will take place at the Grand Théâtre Studio on Thursday 22, Friday 23 and Saturday 24 April 2027 at 19:30;

  • Guernica Guernica, which is a large-scale visual theatre production without spoken words inspired by the 1937 bombing of Guernica. Created by FC Bergman with more than 80 extras, the production examines violence and collective memory through monumental stage imagery. The performances will take place at the Grand Théâtre on Thursday 18 and Friday 19 March 2027 at 19:30;

  • The Boys Are Kissing by British-Iranian playwright Zak Zarafshan explores tolerance, LGBTQ+ identity and social anxiety after two nine-year-old boys kiss in a schoolyard, triggering debates among parents and the wider community. The production will take place at the Grand Théâtre Studio on Friday 7, Tuesday 11, Wednesday 12, Friday 14 and Saturday 15 May 2027 at 19:30, as well as Sunday 9 May 2027 at 17:00.

Depending on the performance and venue, the ticket prices for the English-language productions range from €15 to €25 for adults, while reduced tickets for young audiences are priced at €8.