The Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg have announced the 2026 edition of the TalentLAB, which combines a professional artistic laboratory with a public festival programme running from Sunday 31 May to Sunday 7 June 2026.

The initiative includes two components: the Lab, a ten-day platform bringing together artists, mentors and their projects, and the Festival, which presents performances, discussions and public presentations for the public.

Following the tenth anniversary of the TalentLAB last year and the creation of a network of ten partner artists, the organisers received a record 102 applications from nineteen countries for the 2026 edition.

Tom Leick-Burns, Director of the Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, said this interest shows that "artists need more space and time than ever to research, imagine, explore and share, free from production constraints."

The Lab component will take place from Friday 29 May to Sunday 7 June 2026. During this period, six project leaders and their teams will be mentored by guest artists, before sharing the initial results of their research through 20-minute demo presentations on 7 June.

According to Tom Leick-Burns, the TalentLAB is "first and foremost a sustainable and collaborative platform, a living ecosystem that connects artistic research, multidisciplinarity and knowledge transfer, while nurturing creative networks beyond borders." He added: "This dynamic of support, exchange and sharing allows each participant to benefit from tailored guidance, rooted in an international community of committed artists and professionals."

The TalentLaB Festival will run from Sunday 31 May to Sunday 7 June 2026, with events taking place at various venues across Luxembourg City. 

Performances in English include:

  • Desire Maps - Projekt Europa @ Grand Théâtre's Studio on Sunday 31 May from 15:00 to 19:00-20:00: an interactive map-making performance in which audience members are invited to reimagine the geographical journeys of their ancestors. Tickets cost €20 for adults and €8 for youth; Kulturpass accepted.
  • Handle with Care - Ontroerend Goed @ Grand Théâtre's Grande Salle on Tuesday 2 June at 18:30-19:30:  a "theatre in a box" experience controlled entirely by the spectator. Tickets cost €20 for adults and €8 for youth; Kulturpass accepted.
  • 3 du TROIS goes TalentLAB - meet the project leaders @ Banannefabrik on Wednesday 3 June at 17:00-18:30: a discussion with the artists and presentation of the project leaders' research for the TalentLAB. Free entry; limited space.
  • 3 du TROIS goes TalentLAB - public presentations @ Banannefabrik on Wednesday 3 June at 19:00: TROIS C-L reverts to its usual programme with two public presentations of choreographic residencies: Prelude to Mountain Ghost by Po-Nien Wang and Foyers by Eva Aubigny. Tickets cost €8; Kulturpass accepted; limited space.
  • Haribo Kimchi - Jaha Koo / CAMPO @ Grand Théâtre's Studio on Wednesday 3 June at 19:30-21:00 (in English and Korean, with English surtitles): a performance set in a "pojangmacha", a typical late-night street snack bar in South Korea, which takes spectators on a culinary journey, exploring food as shelter for those dislocated from their culture. Tickets cost €20 for adults and €8 for youth; Kulturpass accepted.
  • TalentLAB Community Weekend: HeartBeat, Son cœur a trouvé sa cadence dans le silence des rencontres @ Grand Théâtre on Friday 5, Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June from 18:00 (12 mins; available in French, English, German and Italian): an immersive performance that explores human connection through heartbeats. Free entry; limited space.
  • Round Table: Creating sustainable international journeys for artists @ Grand Théâtre on Friday 5 June at 18:30-20:00 (in several languages, with simultaneous translation into French and English). Free entry; limited space.
  • Soirées des formes courtes @ Grand Théâtre on Saturday 6 June at 19:30-21:30: an evening of short performances by former TalentLAB participants. Tickets cost €20 for adults and €8 for youth; Kulturpass accepted.
  • Presentation of projects on Sunday 7 June @ Théâtre des Capucins at 15:00 and Grand Théâtre (Studio) at 19:30: the highlight of this edition, during which the results of the initial research will be presented through 20- minute performances. Free entry.

For further details, visit https://theatres.lu/fr/talentlab