The Sibiu International Theater Festival offers spectators the opportunity to meet dozens of outstanding figures from the cultural world, through special conferences.
23 special conferences will take place during the 10 days of FITS, most of the events being moderated by theater critic Octavian Saiu, playwright Matei Vişniec and playwright and journalist Ionuţ Sociu. Throughout the 10 days of the festival, Octavian Saiu will enter into dialogue with Cristian Măcelaru, Gigi Căciuleanu, Silviu Purcărete, Wim Vandekeybus, Ofelia Popii, Cristian Mungiu, Lemi Ponifasio, Milo Rau and Akihiro Yamamoto. Matei Vişniec will dialogue with Luk Perceval, Marcel Iureş and Alexandru Dabija, Israel Galvan and Mohamed El Khatib and Fanny Ardant, and Ionuţ Sociu will moderate discussions with Dragoş Buhagiar, Velica Panduru, Philip Bussman, Cathy Hasse, Miguel Gane and a debate about the Ibsen 200 anniversary with Hege Knarvik Sande, Jan Koslowski, Chris-Simion Mercurian, Kathrine Nedrejord and Ovio Olaru.
Access to the special conferences within FITS is free, subject to available seats. “From year to year we try to develop this section of the conferences because the big names that come to Sibiu deserve to be discovered by the public and other than through the shows they play or stage. It is a unique opportunity to see a piece of the SOUL of each artist who honors us with their presence. And we offer this gift without a ticket, within the limits of available places. Probably in many situations it is a unique opportunity to dialogue with foreign artists such as Fanny Ardant, Milo Rau, Luk Luk Perceval, Wim Vandekeybus, Lemi Ponifasio, Israel Galvan and Mohamed El Khatib, Cathy Hasse, Akihiro Yamamoto, but also with artists of Romanian origin such as Cristian Măcelaru, Silviu Purcărete, Gigi Căciuleanu, Cristian Mungiu, Ofelia Popii, Miguel Gane or Dragoş Buhagiar,” declares Constantin Chiriac, President of FITS.
Fanny Ardant, Milo Rau, Luk Perceval, Cristian Mungiu and Cristian Măcelaru among the special guests
On Saturday, June 20, the series of special conferences begins at 11:00 a.m. with a dialogue between master Cristian Măcelaru and critic Octavian Saiu, at the Hall of Mirrors at the Democratic Forum of Germans. The event is held in Romanian, with English translation, and is accessible free of charge, subject to availability.
From 14:00, also at the Hall of Mirrors, Matei Vişniec enters into a dialogue with the director Luk Perceval, during a conference held in English and French, with Romanian translation.
The last conferences of the day take place from 16:00. Dan Perjovschi enters into dialogue with Ștefania Ferchedau, Florin Fâra and Răzvan Pop, at the Hall of Mirrors at the Democratic Forum of Germans. At the “Holy Trinity” Metropolitan Cathedral, Father Constantin Necula holds the “Mother’s Soul” conference.
On Sunday, June 21, from 12:00, Gigi Căciuleanu enters into dialogue with Octavian Saiu also at the Hall of Mirrors, in an event in Romanian, translated into English. From 14:00, Ionuţ Sociu moderates a conference with Dragoș Buhagiar, Velica Panduru, Philip Bussman.
On Monday, June 22, the conference program starts at 12:00 with a dialogue between Silviu Purcărete and Octavian Saiu. From 14:00, Ionuţ Sociu enters into a dialogue with Cathy Hasse and Cosmin Chivu about “The art of the film actor”.
Tuesday, June 23, also at the Hall of Mirrors, Wim Vandekeybus talks to Octavian Saiu from 12:00, and from 14:00, Ionuţ Sociu talks to the poet Miguel Gane.
On Wednesday, June 24, Matei Vişniec has Marcel Iureş and Alexandru Dabija as guests, from 12:00. From 14:00, Octavian Saiu enters into a dialogue with Ofelia Popii. Both conferences take place at the Hall of Mirrors.
On Thursday, June 25, the program continues at the Hall of Mirrors at the Democratic Forum of Germans with the conference IBSEN 200 – “Art as a reactionary force” from 12:00. Hege Kvarnik Sande, Jan Koslowski, Chris-Simion Mercurian, Kathrine Nedrejord and Ovio Olaru in dialogue with Ionuț Sociu
Also here, from 14:00, the director Cristian Mungiu enters into a dialogue with Octavian Saiu.
Friday, June 26, from 12:00, Matei Vişniec enters into dialogue with Israel Galvan and Mohamed El Khatib. From 2:00 p.m., Lemi Ponifasio enters into dialogue with Octavian Saiu, in an event held in English, with Romanian translation.
On Saturday, June 27, from 12:00, Milo Rau talks with Octavian Saiu, in a special conference, accessible to the general public. From 14:00, Matei Vişniec enters into dialogue with the actress Fanny Ardant, in an event held in French, with translation into English and Romanian.
Also on Saturday, from 4:00 p.m., professor Franco Moretti enters into dialogue with researchers Andrei Terian and Pvio Olaru at the Hall of Mirrors. At the same time, at the “Holy Trinity” Metropolitan Cathedral, Father Constantin Necula holds the “Father’s Soul” conference.
On Sunday, June 28, the program begins at 12:00 with a special conference at the Hall of Mirrors at the German Democratic Forum: Akihiro Yamamoto in dialogue with Octavian Saiu. At 1:00 p.m., the painter Ştefan Câlţia, the director Silviu Purcărete and the composer Vasile Şirli enter into a dialogue with the writer and diplomat Emil Hurezeanu.
Conferences of the International Showcase – an opportunity to meet great professionals in the artistic field
Another important series of conferences is the one within the Sibiu International Showcase. Between June 22 and 25, the Sibiu public will be able to attend discussions with big names of the world artistic world, such as Lisa Richards Toney, president and CEO of The Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP), David Baile, CEO of the International Society for Performing Arts (ISPA) or Roy Luxford, Creative Director at the Edinburgh International Festival.
The events of the International Showcase Exchange are held at the Faust Hall of the MyContinental hotel. Access to the events of the Show Exchange is based on registration.
Cultural Conversations – a new podcast moderated by Mihaela Dedeoglu and Anthony Sargent
This year, the series of Cultural Conversations within the Sibiu International Showcase (SIPAM) becomes a podcast. This interview event, associated with the Sibiu International Theater Festival and moderated by Mihaela Dedeoglu and Anthony Sargent, brings together artists and international cultural leaders daily, between June 20 and 26 (4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.), in dialogues that explore the challenges and opportunities of contemporary performing arts. The Cultural Conversations will be audio-video recorded to be later published as podcast episodes on the SIPAM and Scena Digitală platforms. The discussions will also be transcribed in a volume released at the next edition, forming a valuable archive that documents the perspectives of outstanding personalities and stimulates global cultural dialogue.
Meeting of the Circostrada network – for the first time in Sibiu
This year, for the first time, Sibiu will host the General Assembly of the Circostrada network, a European organization dedicated to contemporary circus and street performance arts. During the event, a series of conferences are scheduled at the Ramada Hotel, within a collaboration with the International Show Exchange from Sibiu.
This year’s edition of the Sibiu International Theater Festival – with the SOUL theme – takes place between June 19 and 28 and schedules over 848 indoor, outdoor and online events.
More details regarding the indoor, outdoor and online shows of FITS 2026 are available on the sibfest.ro website and via the FITS mobile application.
