Theater Lübeck is poised to offer a vibrant tapestry of performances, blending classic musical narratives with contemporary themes. From the romantic entanglements in 'The Merry Widow' to the introspective journey of 'The Passenger', and the divine love of 'Semele', audiences are set to embark on a variety of emotional and cultural explorations. With orchestral and choral compositions enhancing the theatrical experience, each event promises a unique artistic journey, making Theater Lübeck a beacon for cultural enrichment in the upcoming season.

The Lübeck Theater Season: A Symphony of Narratives and Harmonies

Theater Lübeck presents an eclectic array of performances, spanning genres from orchestral to chamber music, and exploring themes from love and desire to historical reflection. With events such as 'The Merry Widow,' 'The Passenger,' and 'Semele,' alongside a New Year's Concert and the unique 'Music4all,' this season promises to enthrall audiences with its rich tapestry of narratives and sounds. Join us as we delve into these captivating performances, each offering a unique experience that transcends traditional boundaries and celebrates artistic diversity.

A Year of Diverse Musical Journeys: Theater Lübeck's Extravaganza

Theater Lübeck invites you on a captivating musical journey through an eclectic lineup of performances. With a rich blend of genres ranging from timeless musicals like 'The Merry Widow' to compelling new compositions like 'The Passenger', this season promises to appeal to diverse audiences. Acclaimed artists and conductors breathe life into these stories, infusing each performance with charm and depth. Discover themes of love, desire, and moral dilemmas as Theater Lübeck delves into the human experience through the power of music and storytelling.

Exploring Theater Lübeck's Diverse Musical Journey

Theater Lübeck is set to host a captivating array of events that promise to resonate deeply with audiences. From the charming escapades of 'The Merry Widow' to the poignant narrative of 'The Passenger,' each performance offers a unique artistic experience. With a blend of classic and contemporary works, including musical interpretations such as 'Semele' and 'Tristan and Isolde,' the theater invites you to delve into stories that explore love, desire, and the human condition. Join us as we dive into the details of these exceptional performances and the artists who bring them to life.

A Grand Theatrical Journey: Exploring Theater Lübeck's Upcoming Events

Theater Lübeck is set to enchant audiences with a diverse lineup of performances going into 2025. From the romantic entanglements of 'The Merry Widow' and the mythological allure of 'Semele', to the timeless love story of 'Tristan and Isolde', each offering promises to captivate. With dramatic operas like 'Lucia of Lammermoor' and the whimsical comedy of 'Bidla Buh', the season is rich with variety. Not to be overlooked are the orchestral and chamber concerts, showcasing the brilliance of Mozart and Brahms, along with a special treat for young audiences aboard 'The Trans-Siberian Ghost Train'.

Theater Lübeck Unveils a Captivating Season: From Classic Musicals to Innovative Symphonies

As the curtains rise at Theater Lübeck, audiences are treated to an eclectic blend of musicals and orchestral performances that promise to captivate the soul. From the romantic entanglements of 'The Merry Widow' and 'Tristan and Isolde' to the innovative twists in dance with 'The Fleeting Moment', the season is a celebration of artistic diversity. With an array of talented performers and creative works, the events offer a perfect escape into the world of timeless stories and melodies.

Exploring the Theatrical Tapestry of Lübeck: A Season of Musical Marvels

Theater Lübeck opens the stage for a captivating lineup of events that promises to enthrall audiences with a diverse array of musical and theatrical performances. From classic operas like 'Tristan and Isolde' and 'Lucia of Lammermoor' to the evocative dance pieces in 'The Fleeting Moment' and the whimsical 'Trans-Siberian Ghost Train,' this season offers something for everyone. Not to mention the special tribute concert to honor Thomas Mann's 150th birthday, and the showcase of young talents in the soloists' concert. Join us as we delve deeper into these artistic offerings.

A Season of Musical Encounters at Theater Lübeck

Lübeck is set to become a vibrant stage for a series of remarkable musical and orchestral events in 2024/25. With Theater Lübeck at the helm, the city will host an array of performances ranging from contemporary dance to classic operatic and orchestral masterpieces. Featured are enchanting new dance pieces in 'The Fleeting Moment', the dramatic tension of 'Lucia of Lammermoor', and the iconic romance of 'Carmen'. Adding depth are orchestral narratives in the 9th Symphony Concert and its youth edition, culminating in a Chamber Concert at the European Hanseatic Museum. Join us as we explore the creative brilliance and cultural richness of these captivating events.

The Lübeck Cultural Symphony: Dance, Drama, and Musical Dreams

Dive into the captivating world of Theater Lübeck, where drama, opera, and ballet come alive on stage. From the gripping courtroom drama of 'The Broken Jug' to the passionate and tragic romance of 'Carmen,' the diverse performances offer something for everyone. This season, the theater brings to life stories that challenge perceptions, celebrate human emotions, and explore the fabric of society. Join us as we explore the exciting lineup of events that promise to engage, inspire, and entertain.

Exploring the Dramatic Tapestry: Theater Lübeck's Spectacular Line-Up

Theater Lübeck offers a vibrant tapestry of performances showcasing diverse genres and captivating stories. From opera and drama to ballet and innovative tours, the theater is a hub of creativity and passion. With events like the public theater tour, Carmen, Sonny Boys, Giselle, and more, audiences are invited to experience the vibrant world of performing arts. Join us as we delve into the rich offerings of Theater Lübeck, exploring the talents of performers and the unique themes that make each event unforgettable.

A Journey Through Theater Lübeck: Exploring Diverse Performances and Stories

9.  Chamber Concert

Hoghehus Lübeck

The Philharmonic Youth Orchestra of the Hanseatic City of Lübeck is entering its second season. Under the direction of Second Kapellmeister Nathan Bas, young musicians rehearse works from the symphonic repertoire on Monday evenings. They are also supported in vocal and ensemble rehearsals by musicians from the professional orchestra through the Lübeck Philharmonic Society / Lübeck Philharmonic Orchestra.

EPSG:4326

Philharmonic Youth Orchestra Final Concert

Theater Lübeck

It is part of the Philharmonic Orchestra's tradition to accompany selected students from the Lübeck University of Music and Performing Arts as part of their concert examinations at the end of each concert season. With this soloist concert, Theater Lübeck and its orchestra underscore the special importance they attach to the development of aspiring musicians and their entry into professional life.

Soloist concert of the Lübeck University of Music

Lübeck Academy of Music

In 2009, it landed at number 9 in the "ABC Classic 100 Symphony Countdown" – and rightly so: Jean Sibelius's Symphony No. 2 is one of the most popular works in the symphonic repertoire today. Its grand finale made it a symbol of the struggle for independence from Russia in Finland. Sibelius himself never expressed a clear political interpretation – and yet this music strikes a chord: Between the sounds of nature, awakening, expansiveness, and power, a symphony of timeless significance unfolds.

Youth concert for the  9th Symphony concert

Music and Congress Hall Lübeck

The final symphony concert of the season presents a Scandinavian program with discoverable works from Sweden and Denmark, as well as a Finnish classic that, surprisingly, originated in Italy. Elfrida Andrée, born in 1841 in Visby on Gotland, was the first female composer in Sweden to venture into the realm of symphonic music. In 1894, she composed her only opera, "Fritiofs Saga," based on a libretto by Selma Lagerlöf, but it was never performed during her lifetime. The trombone concerto by Danish composer Launy Grøndahl from 1924 combines elements of Romanticism, Impressionism, and Nordic folklore and is one of the most significant contributions to the genre. In Lübeck, the piece will be played by the Philharmonic Orchestra's principal trombonist, Stephan Gerblinger.

9th  Symphony Concert

The Lübeck slam A Rama Poetry Slam is back with the stage literature highlight of the season! At the "Poetry Slam Gala Show," five top poets from the A-league of word acrobats in the German-speaking slam scene will compete against each other to show the audience how their texts can make an entire hall and a five-person audience jury cry, scream, tremble, or laugh. And sometimes all of these things at once. In the finest theatrical atmosphere, leaning back in comfortable armchairs, you can look forward not only to the best poets but also to an excellent musical supporting program. It couldn't be more enjoyable!

Slam A Rama presents:The Poetry Slam Gala Show

Truffaldino travels to Venice with his employer. And because the boss is busy in important meetings, Truffaldino quickly finds a second job that promises to fill his empty stomach and save him from financial difficulties. Now it's all about keeping the two employers secret. But Boss No. 1 is actually a woman, dressed only in men's clothing, looking for her lover, who is on the run after a botched duel. And Boss No. 2 is—how could it be otherwise—this lover, of all people. While the two lovers are actually looking for each other, Truffaldino works up a sweat to prevent them from meeting at all costs. This famous game of mistaken identity brought joy to people more than 250 years ago and became Carlo Goldoni's masterpiece.

The Servant of Two Masters

Travebühne

8.  Chamber Concert

Lübeck Town Hall

They want to live solely for art and love: the singer Floria Tosca and the painter Mario Cavaradossi. Yet they find themselves caught in a deadly whirlpool of political and personal power struggles. Cavaradossi sympathizes with the ideals of a liberal republic, but at the same time paints Madonnas for the ultra-conservative Roman clergy. When he helps a fugitive republican find refuge, the police chief Baron Scarpia, who has established a reign of terror in Rome to suppress republican aspirations, becomes suspicious of him. To achieve two goals at once—to eliminate Cavaradossi and to subjugate his lover Tosca—Scarpia devises a truly diabolical plan: He has Cavaradossi arrested and tortured in Tosca's presence, and then makes her an extortionate offer...

Tosca

It's a well-known cliché that mothers develop superpowers when their children are in danger. Playwright Sina Ahlers goes even further in her play "Milk & Guilt": "The generic mother survives in complete isolation, able to do without solid food. She is the disciplined human being that capitalism needs and will open up a new planet." Mothers as humanity's last hope? Yeah, right! Saving the world for a second would, after all, be just another completely unreasonable expectation our modern society places on mothers.

Milk & Guilt

7.  Chamber Concert

No other work occupied Igor Stravinsky for as long a period as his "choreographic scenes from Russia," which premiered in Paris in 1923 under the title "Les Noces" (The Weddings). Initial ideas for a choral work depicting a peasant wedding date back to 1913. The composer initially searched through old folk song collections for original texts for his libretto. In a convoluted creative process, he ultimately created their musical setting with an exceptional ensemble of choir, soloists, four pianos, and percussion. "My aim was not to recreate the customs of a rural wedding," Stravinsky later explained. "Rather, I wanted to invent a kind of scenic ceremony myself..."

8th  Symphony Concert

On May 15, 2026, the Lübeck Philharmonic Society / Lübeck Philharmonic Orchestra and the Lübeck Theater invite you to a musical family day.

Musical Family Day Come in!

One evening, he suddenly appears—a mysterious old man with a head full of music. He claims to be a knight—but there's something different about him...

4.  Children's concert Ritter Gluck

6.  Chamber Concert

Salón Coliseo

Lübeck is the city of the Hanseatic League and Nobel Prize winners. But what about women? We need the whole of history to know where we come from and where we want to go. Therefore, we will go to the city and invite you to an open exchange of perspectives with a searching, choral text about women, which will be read, enriched, rewritten, and transferred into the future in surprisingly different ways by various Lübeck collectives. They will all become part of the "Choir of Unknown Heroes."

Choir of Unknown Heroes

Dresden-born conductor Romely Pfund was one of the first women in Germany to be appointed General Music Director of the Neubrandenburg Philharmonic in 1987. To mark her 50th stage anniversary, she will conduct a celebratory concert at her most recent permanent venue, the Lübeck Theater, where she served as tuition director and conductor until last season. The program includes three of her favorite pieces, one of which is by one of her mentors, Leonard Bernstein.

Romely Pfund gala concert

Güllen is bankrupt. No tax revenue and empty coffers, even though the country's economy is booming: Güllen is to be seized! The long-awaited rescue is approaching in the person of Claire Zachanassian, née Klara Wäscher, who was impregnated and abandoned by Alfred Ill at a young age, lost the paternity suit due to false witness statements, disgraced and driven from the city in poverty, lost her child, forced into prostitution, married and inherited from a wealthy oil baron, and is now a billionaire! Now it's time: With the hope of welcoming a generous benefactor in the former Güllen resident, Claire Zachanassian is being treated to a big welcome. And indeed, she is willing to donate a billion to the city, but under one condition – Alfred Ill must die! Naturally, this caused great outrage among all Güllen residents, who immediately and consistently rejected the immoral offer in the name of humanity. But strangely, little by little, an increased propensity to consume is evident throughout the city, loans are being granted generously, a new town hall is being built, and even the church is buying new bells. And Alfred Ill feels that the people of Güllen are behaving increasingly strangely toward him...

The Visit of the Old Lady

Who inherits what – and why? How does the past shape our present? And what remains at the end of the day? An ensemble of Lübeck residents, together with Knut Winkmann, playfully explores the legacy of a city and their own life's work. The personal meets the historical, the repressed meets the established, facts meet fiction. What are the hidden stories behind wills, legacies, and familial entanglements? And how does our society deal with wealth, responsibility, and the sometimes unjust distribution of wealth?

Bottom line

When Mozart spent a few days in Linz in 1783, the opportunity to give a concert spontaneously arose. However, he had no finished works at hand. So, within four days, he composed a symphony that later—and quite rightly—became known as the "Linz Symphony." Mozart clearly follows in the footsteps of Haydn, whose symphonies he had previously studied and copied. For the first time, he also opens a symphony with a slow introduction, thus continuing the path he had begun toward a large-scale symphonic form.

7th  Symphony Concert

Miss Allie is considered one of the most humorous singer-songwriters in the German-speaking world and a superb entertainer. She brings a unique blend of modern songwriting, charming humor, and sharp social commentary to the stage. Her concerts are truly communal events, where she often interacts spontaneously and wittily with the audience, embedding her songs in humorous anecdotes and personal stories. Her music and warm personality create waves of emotion that sweep through the concert hall either gently or with full force. Stunningly authentic, with daring determination and a powerful voice, she captivates the audience night after night.

Miss Allie Bird of Paradise Tour 2025/26

For the first time this season, a soundscape concert will take place in the DIE EICHE columbarium. An urn cemetery has been created in the historic granary at Hansahafen, enabling a pioneering form of commemoration of the dead and simultaneously serving as a venue for cultural encounters. The events focus on a different theme each year; in 2026, the theme will be nature. The soundscape concert will present works for string quartet and voice that touch on the themes of nature, love, life, and death in diverse ways. The songs in Paul Hindemith's cycle "Melancholie" based on texts by Christian Morgenstern are filled with dreams, moonlight, and ghostly voices in the forest and fog. Johannes Brahms' five Ophelia songs focus on the woman from Shakespeare's "Hamlet," driven to madness and suicide. Her fate is also taken up in the first of Robert Schumann's Six Songs, Op. 107. In addition to and between the sung songs in the program, songs without words from the cycle "Cypresses" for string quartet will also be heard, with which Antonín Dvořák created a touching portrait of his childhood sweetheart.

3.  Sound Images Concert

Columbario El Roble GMBH

In his drama fragment "Woyzeck," shortly before his untimely death in 1837, Georg Büchner became one of the first playwrights to turn his attention unsparingly to social reality. Inspired by a real court case, he depicts a simple man trying to lead a normal life against all odds—living in poverty, subjected to questionable medical experiments, and humiliated from all sides, he increasingly loses his mind. The play wasn't staged until 1913.

Wozzeck

In 1985, Rocko Schamoni gave his first concerts as the support act for the Goldenen Zitronen, back then still under his early pseudonym "Roddy Dangerblood." In 1986, he accompanied the Toten Hosen on tour, from then on as "King Rocko Schamoni." Since then, he has performed well over 1,000 times, released over 20 albums with his own band "Little Machine," with "Studio Braun" and "Fraktus," written 10 books, produced 10 plays, founded the Golden Pudel Club, and supported various other projects. The "King"—as close friends may call him—will present a cross-section of his musical and literary output on this anniversary tour. He will be accompanied by Joachim Franz Büchner.

40 years of Rocko Schamoni the King is here

Dementia. A diagnosis that affects most people at some point. Even beforehand, there are worries: Is it just age-related forgetfulness, or am I sick? Will I lose my partner? Will I no longer recognize my own children? How can I ensure proper care for my grandfather? The progression of the disease and the associated caregiving situation frighten many, but they often also offer bizarre and amusing moments to reconnect with a loved one. When mom, at breakfast in the morning, no longer remembers whether she's had tea today or how old she is, it presents challenges, but perhaps also offers the opportunity to encounter her in a completely new way. To get to know her anew every day.

hand in hand

5.  Chamber Concert

European Hansemuseum

4th  Chamber Concert

Lübeck City Library

Are you prepared for the zombie apocalypse? "Zombies!" offers practical survival tips for every situation: How do you properly treat bite wounds? Is your partner hiding the fact that they were bitten by a zombie? How do you recognize an impending transformation? And what is the best defense strategy against a zombie? Wait—a single zombie? Don't zombies always appear in groups or crowds?

Zombies!

People of all ages wear their shirts, and their songs have become the soundtrack of entire generations: Nirvana. But what accounts for the enthusiasm for this band, even though it disbanded over thirty years ago? Not only the suicide of grunge star Kurt Cobain, but also the life and personality of the unforgettable Nirvana frontman still raise questions today: resignation or revolt? Angry outsider, highly sensitive artist, lifelong seeker? Drinks, drugs, and depression. Voice of Generation X, ally, feminist?

Come As You Are

Along with the symphony, the song was Gustav Mahler's central compositional genre. Preferred textual sources for his songs are poems by Friedrich Rückert and the folk song collection "Des Knaben Wunderhorn." Star baritone Bo Skovhus, who also sings the title role in Alban Berg's "Wozzeck" at the Lübeck Theater this season, presents a select selection from Mahler's song oeuvre with Stefan Vladar on the piano.

Gustav Mahler song recital

The devil loves music—especially when a violin is involved. Some even whisper that he invented it himself! Tartini's Devil's Trill Sonata, Paganini's lightning-fast Caprices, Schnittke's ghostly A Paganini —that doesn't sound like a human hand... or does it? In this concert, there's plucking, bowing, trickery, and seduction—until even the devil is amazed.

3.  Children's concert Devilishly good music

It remained his last major orchestral work, which Johannes Brahms completed in 1887—a "final act of stupidity," as he announced to his publisher Simrock with characteristic irony. Brahms dedicated the Double Concerto for Violin and Cello to the violinist Joseph Joachim, with whom he had been friends for decades. This friendship had recently reached a crisis, however, and to break the ice between them, Brahms sent the score to his friend. Joachim gratefully accepted the offer; thus, a rapprochement was established, and the furious finale proved to be a veritable celebration of reconciliation between the two. A uniquely well-coordinated duo, the siblings Tanja and Christian Tetzlaff, come to Lübeck for this double concerto.

6th  Symphony Concert

Composer John Kander tells a great love story in "Cabaret": Nightclub singer Sally Bowles and writer Clifford Bradshaw meet on New Year's Eve 1929 in Berlin. For a while, the newly in love couple's happiness seems perfect – despite their differing ideas about the future and their precarious circumstances. Sally lives for the day and sings at the famous "Kit Kat Klub" at night. Jealous Cliff can't deal with this. He is working on his second novel, but is in the midst of a creative crisis. Moreover, the mood of the "Golden Twenties" is increasingly changing, even in the liberal metropolis of Berlin. Fascism and anti-Semitism are poisoning society. Even the apolitical landlady, Fräulein Schneider, can no longer close her eyes to the rise of National Socialism.

Cabaret

The most powerful man in the Roman Empire, Emperor Nero, covets the beautiful and power-hungry courtesan Poppea. She demands that he marry her and crown her empress. To do so, however, Nero must first disown his unloved wife Ottavia. The philosopher Seneca tries in vain to temper Nero's desires, but this only draws his wrath. Empress Ottavia, fighting to maintain her position, commissions a courtier to murder her rival Poppea. But the plan backfires. Ottavia is found guilty, and Nero finally has a plausible reason to exile her and enthrone his lover.

The Coronation of Poppea L'incoronazione di Poppea

A thematic focus from the art collection of the Museum Behnhaus Drägerhaus, which will be presented in an exhibition in 2026, is on paintings and pictures by female artists, including Paula Modersohn-Becker, Anita Rée, and Else Wex-Cleemann. Juxtapositions of their works reveal how the self-image of female artists has changed over time. Just as the works of female visual artists have often been marginalized and ignored, so have those of female composers. This soundscape concert combines chamber music and vocal works by outstanding female composers from various eras, from pioneers from the mid-19th century such as Clara Schumann to trailblazers at the beginning of the 20th century such as Lili Boulanger, who was the first woman to win the coveted "Prix de Rome" in France and died at the age of just 24, or Mélanie Bonis, who mostly published her works under the pseudonym Mel Bonis in order to conceal her gender, to contemporary composers such as Lera Auerbach.

2.  Sound Images Concert

Museum Behnhaus Drägerhaus

He is one of the greats of American rock music: an Oscar and Tony Award winner, a 20-time Grammy winner – and more than 60 million albums sold make him one of the most successful musicians of all time. His songs, sometimes melancholically dark, sometimes powerfully earthy, have won a huge fan base around the world. Autobiographical elements are repeatedly reflected in the songs: his difficult relationship with his father, his working-class background, but also social themes such as rural exodus in the USA or everyday racism in the provinces. His childhood and youth experiences – growing up in a small town in New Jersey, in a home shaped by a choleric father who failed to build an emotional relationship with his children – flow into his songs. With a mixture of anger, a longing for escape and freedom, but also with wistful nostalgia, he describes his roots and simultaneously expresses what concerns the "little man" on the street. In "My Hometown," for example, he sings about the decline of his hometown, empty shops, violence, and unemployment. He tells of failed lives, lost dreams, and defiant rebellion. His songs deal with life and death, friendship, family, idealism, the American Dream, and homelessness—and they reflect the psychological state of a nation.

My Hometown

In the most dramatic times of the 20th century, Shostakovich's Cello Sonata (1934) and Prokofiev's Second Violin Sonata (1943) were two profound works created that combine virtuosity and expressiveness in the intimate form of the sonata. The second part of this extraordinary chamber concert features Dvořák's Second Piano Quintet, which embodies everything his name is associated with: rich melodic invention, Czech folk influences, and late-Romantic sonority.

Slavic soul

Lullabies have been handed down from almost every culture. They provide comfort, especially when life is difficult. Many songs are passed down through generations, and dementia patients sing along when they hear songs from their childhood. Musician, performer, and storyteller Çağlar Yiğitoğulları embarks on a musical journey through these songs. How did they originate, how are they passed on and performed, and what is it in their lyrics and sound that provides comfort and security to people across national borders?

Good evening, good night

Essigfabrik

We're embarking on a journey to the most species-rich animal group on Earth: insects. They have populated our planet for over 400 million years. But perhaps not for much longer. Insect populations have declined dramatically, and we humans are to blame. Yet insects are the foundation of the food chain and irreplaceable for us and our planet! Can we stop their silent demise and save the insects?

The silent death of insects

Scholarship holders of the German Foundation for Music Life, who won a valuable instrument at the 32nd German Musical Instrument Fund Competition in 2025, will perform as soloists and present solo concertos by Antonín Dvořák and Benjamin Britten with the Philharmonic Orchestra. Played on the Fund's exquisite instruments and by exceptional young talents, these two works promise to be a truly special listening experience.

Rising Stars

Germany is debating inheritance tax. Everyone seems to agree that inheritance needs to be made fairer. But how? Munich-based author Nora Abdel-Maksoud has the solution! Every inheritance is collected by the state and redistributed via a lottery. A random system instead of an ovarian lottery! And what authority is better suited to administer this new inheritance bureaucracy than the German employment offices?! In the soon-to-be-completely overcrowded waiting areas, job seekers are asked to put their children in line for waiting tickets – they take up less space. And so, among playing children in waiting area C, disinherited start-up entrepreneur Silke meets Maude, a citizen's income recipient. An encounter with explosive potential. Clerk Gabor also discovers this when the two women storm his office armed with a remote detonator and threaten to blow up his beloved SUV if Silke doesn't get her inheritance back. Maude, on the other hand, simply wants to be able to collect deposit bottles without the money being deducted from her basic security as "income."

Jeeps

Every evening, when the heavy bells of St. Jakobi Church announce midnight, a mysterious clacking, stomping, tiptoeing, and rumbling can be heard from the Lübeck Theater. Theater ghost Johann von Rasselstein has been on the trail of the mystery for years – because every night they awaken: forgotten dancing shoes, old boots, worn-out slippers... What drives the shoes? And why do they only dance when no one is looking? It's high time to unravel the mystery.

2.  Children's concert Shoe -Pranks at Midnight

3rd  Chamber Concert

The godfather of the Beat Generation, William S. Burroughs, rock legend Tom Waits, and director Robert Wilson created "The Black Rider" in Hamburg in 1990: a dreamlike play about the price of escapism. Seemingly opposing worlds blend within it: the associative, often drug-induced lyrics of William S. Burroughs, driven by sound and rhythm, the raw, dissociative sound of Tom Waits, and a well-known German folk tale.

The Black Rider The Casting of the Magic Bullets

What would YOU be willing to make a pact with the devil for? – Based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale "Bearskin," the inclusive Mixed Pickles theater group presents a fast-paced fairy tale about seduction, exclusion, and the good in humanity. With a spooky twist, glitter, and music.

The Bearskin

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.

5th  Symphony Concert

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

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

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

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

The Philharmonic Orchestra of the Hanseatic City of Lübeck and Stefan Vladar welcome the New Year with a bouquet of Viennese waltzes and other musical surprises. The only certainty in the program is probably Johann Strauss's indestructible Danube Waltz ("On the Beautiful Blue Danube"), this "wordless Marseillaise of Peace," as the critic Eduard Hanslick once called the evergreen of all New Year's concerts.

New Year's Concert

Scotland in the 17th century: Lucia Ashton loves Edgardo, a member of the rival Ravenswood family. After a change of power, her brother Enrico finds himself on the wrong side: only Lucia's marriage to the nobleman Arturo can save him from losing his power and his life. The wedding is performed under duress. But the guests are treated to a scene of horror when Lucia emerges from the bridal chamber covered in blood: she has stabbed her husband.

Lucia di Lammermoor

The chamber concert series is supported by the Philharmonic Society Lübeck / Lübeck Philharmonic Orchestra eV

2nd  Chamber Concert

The glass harmonica was developed by Benjamin Franklin in the 18th century and was a popular and legendary instrument in its time. Its floating tones are produced by moving moistened fingers over glass bells of various sizes. In 2006, Jörg Widmann dedicated a composition to the instrument under its original Italian name, "Armonica," in which the ethereal sounds of the vibrating glass expand to encompass the entire orchestra, creating a cosmos of sound of enchanting beauty.

4th  Symphony Concert

What's wrong with our democracy? Is it broken? And if so, is it covered by warranty or will we end up having to pay for the repairs ourselves?

ALFONS - Great!

"When Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous vermin." This first sentence from Franz Kafka's story "The Metamorphosis" is quite rightly considered one of the best novel openings in literary history. Yet there's essentially nothing more boring than beginning a story with the main protagonist waking up in the morning. But Gregor Samsa doesn't just wake up—no, he "awakens" from "troubled dreams." A process that is interrupted the next moment by the devastating realization that he has been transformed into a monstrous vermin. And how does Gregor react? After realizing that these aren't one of his restless dreams (for he recognizes the details of his room), he really wants to turn over on his side and go back to sleep. But work calls, and the family is waiting with breakfast...

The transformation​

Fans and those who would like to become fans will experience just how entertaining Richard Wagner's music and lyrics can be in the new program "Wagner zu dritt mit Harald Schmidt." Guests of the entertainer include Klaus Florian Vogt and Jobst Schneiderat.

»Wagner threesome with Harald Schmidt«

For generations of children, Humperdinck's "Hansel and Gretel" was and remains the first, unforgettable operatic experience. The story of the two broom-making children, chased from their home by their mother, wander fearfully through the forest until they reach a tempting witch's house, only to find themselves in even greater danger there, was loosely adapted into verse by the composer's sister, Adelheid Wette, based on the Grimms' fairy tales. Humperdinck, a composer stylistically close to Wagner, created enchanting music for the fairy-tale images, from the "Evening Blessing" to the Sandman's and Dewman's songs to the terrifying witch who has captivated children and adults alike since its creation.

Hansel and Gretel

The earth is sweating, the poles are melting—and somewhere, a penguin is sitting on packed suitcases. Thousands of animals from all over the world are competing for a ticket on the luxury liner "Arche Boa." Twelve animal finalists will present their stories in a spectacular show. The audience decides: Which animal will be saved, will receive the last QuarTIER on board, and thus be saved from extinction?

1.  Children's concert Arche Boa

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

Nils doesn't feel like helping his parents and finds going to school boring. He prefers to annoy the cat or the geese – but when he catches a goblin, he's caught the wrong one: Before he knows it, he's transformed into Thumbling and suddenly experiences what it's like to be small and powerless. When he tries to stop Martin the house goose from following the call of the wild geese to freedom, he unexpectedly finds himself high in the air on Martin's back. This is the beginning of the famous journey of little Nils Holgersson with the wild geese, which Selma Lagerlöf wrote down over 100 years ago – for which she was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature – and which still tells us a lot about responsibility, friendship, and how we treat our environment.

The wonderful journey of Nils Holgersson

Santa Mahoin

A little man in a forest? Quite the opposite: A tree stands on A.'s balcony. It seems to have grown overnight from a crack, a crevice in the concrete. The city's gardening department doesn't feel responsible, and the forestry department soon proves overwhelmed, as forests suddenly sprout up in every European city. Volunteers are sought to clear vegetation from the Eiffel Tower, and Bambi grazes in the canyons of high-rise buildings.

Forest

Money isn't something we talk about. It's best to simply have it. Money can affirm, shame, and pressure. Living on credit is expensive, especially when you're just starting out. "Are You Worth It?" invites playwrights to submit new texts for an audience aged 14 and over that explore the phenomenon of money. The deadline for submissions is September 1, 2025. The text, selected by a panel of experts, will receive €6,000 in prize money provided by the Sparkasse Lübeck and will premiere on November 28, 2025.

Are you worth it?

Stadtraum

1st  Chamber Concert

A full 22 years lie between the premieres of Johannes Brahms's two piano concertos. Compositionally, he was still in his infancy when, in 1854, he orchestrated a now-lost sonata for two pianos, first transforming it into a symphony and then into a piano concerto. "Terrible, heavy, and grand," he prophesied to Clara Schumann in a letter. He worked on the work for two more years, which premiered in Hanover in 1859. Its groundbreaking quality was only recognized years later.

3rd  Symphony Concert

They always say, "Just be yourself!" But what if you're just tired mediocrity yourself? "Authenticity" is not only difficult to spell, but also usually the beginning of a lifelong disappointment. For everyone! Florian Hacke, too, tried for a really long time to simply be himself and at the same time respect those around him, but with three small children now, he simply doesn't have the energy for long-term lies. That's why he's now relying on credible honesty and making the world a low-threshold offer: He's not actively preventing anyone from thinking the best of him, but if you ask him honestly, he can't guarantee anything.

»Authenticity« - The only true satire evening with Florian Hacke

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Greta. She lived in a beautiful, large forest. One day, the grown-ups began to destroy the forest. But Greta had an idea... What can children and young people do in a world dominated by powerful adults? Quite a lot, because in the beginning, all it takes is an idea to spark something. And sometimes, that develops into a global movement that can make a difference!

When the big ones destroyed the forest

We live in the best of all possible worlds! At least, that's what Candide learned from his teacher Dr. Pangloss. When the Westphalian castle where he spent his youth is destroyed in war, he embarks on an adventurous journey into the unknown – via Paris and Lisbon to El Dorado. But with the right amount of optimism in his luggage, neither earthquakes nor shipwrecks, the Inquisition, nor other catastrophes can deter him from his path.

Candide

"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

Two life stories in the maelstrom of world history, life stories that couldn't be more different: The writer and journalist Heinrich Thies will present his new book on Sunday, November 2nd at 6:30 p.m. in the studio of the Theater Lübeck – a book that tells the story of a memorable encounter.

Sally. The Way Through the Night

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

Klassiker der Filmmusik von Wagner bis »Star Wars«

Klassische Musik und Filmkunst: Seit der Entstehung der laufenden Bilder sind sie immer wieder eine produktive Symbiose eingegangen. Gerade die Musik der Spätromantik prägte die Klangwelt Hollywoods – auch da viele ihrer großen Vertreter vor dem Nationalsozialismus an die amerikanische Westküste geflohen waren. Kaum ein noch lebender Filmkomponist steht so in dieser Tradition wie John Williams, der in seiner durch Korngold und Strawinsky geprägten Musik zu »Star Wars« das wagnerianische Konzept der Leitmotive zu ungeahnter Popularität brachte – und sich dabei mitunter gefährlich nahe an Picassos Motto orientiert, dass »große Künstler stehlen«.

Die »James Bond«-Filme lassen die Unterhaltungsmusik ihrer jeweiligen Entstehungszeit anklingen, während Tōru Takemitsu in seinen »Three Film Scores« die typische Wiener Melange aus Walzerseligkeit und Schwermut aufgreift. Immer wieder fand und findet aber auch klassische Musik ihren Weg in den Film – sei es Schostakowitschs berühmter Walzer Nr. 2 in Stanley Kubricks »Eyes Wide Shut« oder wenn in Francis Ford Coppolas »Apocalypse Now« ein vietnamesisches Dorf zu den Klängen von Wagners »Walkürenritt« bombardiert wird. Das 2. Sinfoniekonzert spürt dieser gegenseitigen Inspiration von Film und Klassik in all ihren Facetten nach.

2. Sinfonie­konzert

Music and Congress Hall

Classical music and film art: Since the creation of moving pictures, they have repeatedly entered into a productive symbiosis. The music of the late Romantic period, in particular, shaped the soundscape of Hollywood—partly because many of its great representatives fled Nazi Germany to the American West Coast. Hardly any living film composer stands as closely in this tradition as John Williams, who, in his music for "Star Wars," influenced by Korngold and Stravinsky, brought the Wagnerian concept of leitmotifs to unprecedented popularity—and in doing so, sometimes veers dangerously close to Picasso's maxim that "great artists steal."

2nd  Symphony Concert

Did I really just say that? Am I hearing you correctly? And why can't I get that sentence out? Communication is a mess we're trying to untangle. Whether with words or gestures, we're constantly sending mixed signals. Vincenz Türpe and Anna-Lena Hitzfeld take young gamers on a journey through overthinking, I-messages, and body language. Whether it's still water or an open book, we read between the lines. And—just maybe—we'll get to the point in the end. Who makes the first move?

Mixed Signals

Mark Waschke: Democracy will win

"One must be light, with a light heart and light hands, holding and taking, holding and letting go..." With these words, Field Marshal Princess Werdenberg reflects on her life. She has a youthful and passionate lover, Count Octavian, but suspects that sooner or later he will leave her for a younger woman. Her morning tête-à-tête with her lover is interrupted by her cousin, the uncouth Baron Ochs von Lerchenau. To improve his disastrous financial situation, he wants to marry the young Sophie von Faninal, daughter of a wealthy newly ennobled man. The Marshal suggests Octavian as the "Rosenkavalier," who will present the silver rose as his courtship. During the exchange of roses, however, Octavian and Sophie fall in love. Despite her pain, the Field Marshal knows how to let go of her lover "with ease," because she has vowed to "love him in the right way, so that I myself still love his love for another..."

The Rosenkavalier

Every theater is its own little cosmos, with its diverse professions, workshops, processes, and rituals. To ensure that the curtain can rise on the premiere after six weeks of rehearsals, many people are at work behind the scenes.

Family theater tour

The Lübeck Poetry Slam highlight of the season! At the "Best of Poetry Slam," the Kammerspiele of Theater Lübeck transforms into an arena of words, as five of the slam world's best poets compete against each other. Here, the giants of the poetry scene compete in a thrilling contest of the spoken word. Be captivated by their linguistic artistry as the artists demonstrate how their texts can make an entire hall and a five-person audience jury cry, scream, tremble, or laugh—and sometimes all of these things at once. Be there when the Kammerspiele of Theater Lübeck becomes the setting for this special evening of performative word art.

Best of Poetry Slam – The Allstar Poetry Slam

A young humanities scholar examines a painting, a still life: a man sitting on a chair. Aha. First half of the 19th century, Biedermeier. Oh, I see. Doesn't sound all that exciting at first… Until she begins to classify the painting, to reflect on the time in which it was created: the era of industrialization, railroads, Krupp, Marx, and Bismarck. A rapidly developing time, inventions that seemed to happen every minute, from an agrarian country to an industrial nation, fast, dirty, loud, a diverging two-class system. But the still life shows: domestic peace, order, and clarity. Outside, the world is transforming; inside, within his protected four walls, sits the Max Mustermann of the Biedermeier era. For simplicity's sake, the viewer calls him Frank. And she classifies it again: Biedermeier vs. the present: escape into a private idyll, cocooning, Manufactum and XXXLutz at home – coronavirus, war, and climate change elsewhere. And indeed, we've always been good at retreating into the private sphere. Everything won't be so bad... The image is accurate.

The still life

"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

The jealous girlfriend, the spiteful rival, the hysterical colleague. Sister or enemy. Saint or whore. No matter how mindful, enlightened, and emancipated we may be, when we become insecure, we quickly resort to sexist narratives passed down for generations. And boom, there it is: the all-too-familiar "cattiness"!

Mare bite

The unparalleled live energy is the trademark of Max and Friends, perhaps Germany's most exclusive band, who have shared the stage with many renowned stars. Max and Friends have also performed with the Lübeck Philharmonic Orchestra, receiving enthusiastic acclaim from the audience. Now, a special concert promises a new, exciting encounter between classical and pop, featuring explosive arrangements by bandleader Maximilian Kraft and conducted by Takahiro Nagasaki.

Classical meets pop

He is considered one of the most eloquent and stylistically assured librettists in the entire history of opera: Hugo von Hofmannsthal. A few weeks before the premiere of the new opera production of "Der Rosenkavalier," director Michael Wallner, Stefan Vladar, Andrea Stadel, and Steffen Kubach will present Hofmannsthal's libretto in an exclusive reading at the Studio, proving that "Der Rosenkavalier" is also a supreme delight as a pure work of linguistic art.

»Der Rosenkavalier« – The Reading

Giselle falls in love with Duke Albrecht, unaware of his noble origins. When his identity is revealed by the gamekeeper Hilarion, Giselle loses her mind and dies. She now finds herself in the circle of the Wilis, ghosts of brides who died before their weddings. At night, they force young men to dance with them until they die of exhaustion. As a Wili, Giselle could take revenge on Hilarion and Albrecht – but love will prove to be the stronger force.

Giselle

Old love never rusts. Unfortunately, old enmity doesn't either. For 40 years, comedians Willie Clark and Al Lewis performed together on stage. But since they split up after a falling out, the fame of the "Sonny Boys" has faded, and Willie is no longer even in demand as a commercial actor. So, the offer of a one-off appearance (for a hefty fee, of course) tempted him. But Willie hasn't forgiven Al for retiring from show business and thus ending Willie's career—hardly a good starting point for a successful "comeback."

Sonny Boys

It's their fourth meeting, and the man and the woman seem to be a perfect match. They count the days, hours, and minutes that have passed since they last saw each other: "Five days, two hours, six minutes." They talk about their fears: "What was it today? The black dog? The climate?" They don't communicate digitally, but write on pieces of paper what they want to say to each other at their next meeting: "Monday. I wake up thinking of you." But what actually happens in our hearts, brains, and guts when we're in love? Neuroscience has been studying this topic for 20 years and has now proven which hormones are necessary and which brain areas are involved in creating a lifelong bond between two individuals. So, could we in the near future control all of our emotions using chemicals and build neural networks so similar to our brains that they can not only learn but also feel?

The fourth meeting

A suddenly awakened desire throws Sergeant Don José off his usual path. A woman who unexpectedly throws a flower at his feet gives him access to a world he had previously closed off to. The woman's name is Carmen, and she is a social outsider. What she wants, she takes; when she loves, she does so with every fiber of her being. A coincidence brings Carmen and José together, or perhaps a misunderstanding. For José, erotically inexperienced, believes that the flower thrown at him has attracted Carmen's attention. To be with her, he accepts military demotion and imprisonment; in fact, he ultimately risks his entire civil existence for a relationship with Carmen. But after a short time, she has had enough of him and wants to break up with him. Carmen uncompromisingly asserts her right to freedom and self-determination.

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