International Visual Festival Cultura Nova
Cultura Nova presents and (co)produces visual theatre, music, dance, performance, youth theatre, art, debate and much more. The festival showcases international companies but also encourages new local talent. At the heart of its programming is the connecting power of visual theatre.
The 35th edition of Cultura Nova
Friday 28 August 2026 will see the 35th edition of Cultura Nova burst onto the scene. For ten days, you can immerse yourself in a programme packed with art and culture that can be experienced in all Parkstad municipalities. The heart of the festival is the festival square in front of Theater Heerlen. New cultural adventures await you here every day.
What to expect?
- Big outdoor shows and special location projects
- Physical theatre, circus and installations
- Music, film, architecture and visual arts
- Creators from all over the world and the region
Programme 2026
To be announced in part in May.
What is Cultura Nova?
Cultura Nova is an annual, ten-day international theatre festival in Heerlen and the surrounding area. The first edition of Cultura Nova was in 1991 and since then the festival has offered theatre, film, dance, music and visual arts, often at unusual locations, in collaboration with cultural and other partners, such as PLT, SCHUNCK Glaspaleis, pop podium NIEUWE NOR and Filmhuis De Spiegel.
Cultura Nova has grown into a leading international festival in the heart of South Limburg. Around 70,000 people annually visit some 250 activities by more than 40 theatre companies and artists.
What started from a strong tradition in spectacle and street theatre has developed into a multidisciplinary festival with rich and diverse programming. The programme is colourful and layered, accessible and experimental: from large-scale opening and closing shows to intimate site-specific theatre, from family shows to artistic crossovers and from international circus to socially engaged projects.
With this broad mix, Cultura Nova manages to appeal to a diverse audience and attracts visitors from far beyond the region.
Retrospective Cultura Nova 2025 the 34th edition
The 34th edition of Cultura Nova once again showed how Heerlen turns into a lively open-air stage for ten days. With around 70 projects, 244 activities and tens of thousands of visitors, the festival coloured Heerlen and the entire Parkstad region.
Central to Cultura Nova 2025 was the theme "stories that do make sense" as a response to a time of disinformation. This focus on sincere, multi-layered stories resonated strongly with Heerlen's identity, where the mining past and the cowpoke mentality "working together" were clearly palpable.
Heerlen as a stage for imagination
The impressive opening with ADN - Odyssée vertical immediately set the tone: a grand visual spectacle that depicted collectivity and diversity. Throughout the festival, large-scale square performances and intimate site-specific theatre alternated, often in unexpected places in the city, such as the Maankwartier.
What again characterised Cultura Nova 2025 was its strong connection with the city. Residents, makers and visitors came together in a festival that does not just take place in Heerlen, but is truly part of it.
The edition thus confirmed Cultura Nova's strength as a cultural engine: a festival that continues to surprise, connect and allow the city to be experienced again and again.
Curious about Cultura Nova's full programme?
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Friend of Cultura Nova - will you become one?
Would you like to support the festival and enjoy extra benefits? Then become a Friend of Cultura Nova for only €50 per year. As a Friend, you will receive
- Automatically receive the festival brochure at home
- 10% discount on all festival performances
- One free performance per year
Your contribution is used for the sustainable development of the festival and for young talent in the region.