Name: A festival of love
Start: 2026-02-14T20:00:00
Location: Theater Lübeck

Philip Lüsebrink

Theater Lübeck

In a village near Utrecht, Judge Adam's word is law. Until Mrs. Marthe Rull appears before his judge's bench. She accuses her daughter Eve's fiancé: Ruprecht secretly sneaked into Eve's room at night—or perhaps even forced his way in—and broke a jug in the commotion. Ruprecht vehemently denies this. He says he found another man in Eve's room, and the man knocked the jug off the ledge as he fled out the window. Because he believes Eve has cheated on him, Ruprecht wants to break off the engagement. And Eve? She remains silent. Instead, Judge Adam talks all the more—and soon gets himself into trouble. Because with every flattery, every evasive maneuver, with every increasingly obvious lie, it becomes clearer who really gained access to Eve's room.

The Broken Jug

Lately, we've heard a lot about concerns about our democracy. But who shapes our democracy—not in faraway Berlin and at the federal level, but in our immediate surroundings? What about our local politics? Who are these people who put themselves at the service of the community and help shape our cities and our community life democratically? Who do we elect as our representatives?

The exemplary life of Samuel W.

"At this location, Hafenstraße 52, on January 18, 1996, ten people died in an arson attack. They had come to Germany seeking refuge here. This event fills us with grief and pain. Those responsible for the crime have not been identified. The deaths of the victims and the suffering of their families remind us to stand up for the rights and safety of refugees."

Harbor Street

An entertaining evening with the hits of the 70s awaits you! We'll take you back to the days of flared trousers, flashy outfits, the first TV game shows for the whole family, and top everything with "cream, please!"

A festival of love

"What kind of people were they? What were they talking about? Who dared to attack him in his apartment?" Before breakfast on his 30th birthday, two men appeared in Joseph K.'s room and declared him under arrest. They explained nothing more. The authority they were from and what he was accused of remained a mystery. The men didn't take him away, allowing Joseph K. to continue his work. Convinced of his innocence, his attempts to appear in court led him to the city's twisted attics. Joseph K. hired a lawyer, but he searched in vain for a solution to his case or a sensible course of action. Although Joseph K. was gradually absorbed in his trial, it made little progress—until one day he learned of his conviction...

The process

Whether rocking, cuddling, or listening – everything is allowed here. A concert that invites you to dream, encourages you to listen, and creates musical encounters for all ages.

Crawling concert Sandman and Dew Man

Essigfabrik

While "Don Giovanni" is being performed in the opera house, the real show takes place in the wine cellar next door – here, the poet Hoffmann entertains his customers with his fantastic tales in which people turn out to be machines, singing can be fatal, and mysterious figures seek to rob him of his reflection. The hidden core of every story: his relationship with the singer Stella, who is also on stage as Donna Anna in the opera. The longer the evening goes on, the crazier the stories become, until Hoffmann finally threatens to lose touch with reality...

Hoffmann's Tales Les contes d'Hoffmann

Globetrotter and presenter Barbara von Belau, more than unknown from shows like "Neues aus dem Alten Land" (News from the Old Country) or "Tide-TV," invites you together with keyboardist and sound veteran Janne Jens Käitala and Gunnar H., the Amber Room of good music: As traveling Finland whisperers, they are to build musical Baltic Sea bridges and, at the same time, lure wealthy vacationers to the far north, even if they've never been there themselves. No matter – no one has to know. And so they warmly welcome the audience to a quirky musical information evening about a place of longing between storm and calm, with songs full of shanty yearning and sauna spirit. What the three don't yet know, however, is that for them, this might be their last chance to discover the "Kuhmo" within themselves and, in the process, make the catch of a lifetime – "Finn your luck!" – that's so easy to say, but don't we all want that?

Lapskaos

In his play "Birthday Candles," American playwright Noah Haidle spins a thread of life on which birthdays (some more, some less solemnly celebrated) are strung like pearls on a necklace. 100 years of life – 100 birthday cakes that Ernestine bakes each year according to her mother's recipe as she searches for her place in the universe. At 18, Ernestine is convinced she'll find that place on a theater stage, far away from her tranquil hometown, but as the saying goes, "Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans." Ernestine starts a family with her childhood sweetheart, experiences highs and lows, and ultimately finds herself reflected in the questions, wishes, and dreams of those who come after her.

Birthday Candles

With "Between the Bars" and "Between the 80's," Plewka and Schmedtje have enchanted their audiences in numerous sold-out shows over the past few years. In early 2026, the duo will return to the stage with "Between the Lights," a new program including an EP. Their thematic focus is on songs about death. Songs like "Killing Me Softly," "The End," and "Wonderful Life" guide the listener through an emotional journey of their own existence. Not without, of course, celebrating the joyful moments in between. An evening that approaches farewell in a soulful way, sometimes in a major key, sometimes in a minor. There will be pulling, healing, tears, and laughter. In the end, it's an invitation to life. Sing along!

Plewka & Schmedtje Between the Lights

Sometimes gently swaying, sometimes wildly stomping – this is how the successive waltzes in Carl Maria von Weber's "Invitation to the Dance" sound. With this piece, originally composed for piano, Weber created a depiction of the intoxicating love of dance of his time in 1819. The Spanish composer Manuel de Falla – the music world will celebrate his 150th birthday in 2026 – was so fascinated by a performance of the "Ballets Russes" in Paris that he wanted to create music for a ballet himself. Inspired by the dancer Pastore Imperio from his homeland, de Falla studied the tradition of Andalusian flamenco and the singing style of "cante jondo" and, on this basis, wrote the ballet "El amor brujo" (The Love Spell) for voice and orchestra in the winter of 1914/15, from which he transformed a year later into a symphonic suite with voice. The solo part is played by Ieva Prudnikovaite, who is currently delighting audiences as Carmen at the Lübeck Theater.