Dear festival guests,

this year we invite you to a very special edition of our puppet theatre festival. We will open several doors to let in some fresh air.

The first big door leads to the city of Wels. In 2021, we had to move some of the festival’s stagings into June because of the on-going pandemic . Suddenly we realized that the Old Town of Wels provides a beautiful backdrop for open-air plays. We discovered so many secret corners and magical spots around our festival center at the Minoriten that we desperately wanted to use as a stage - which was never possible during the wet, cold March where the festival usually takes place. So, this year we make our dream come true!

On the shopping days, two puppeteers will swarm out with chairs, lamps and camping tables and invite you to step out of the daily hustle and bustle to be enchanted by the magical world of puppetry - so you can continue your day with a smile on your face.

On Saturday afternoon you are cordially invited to our puppetry picnic at the Minoriten. Food and good vibes included! Sit down on the luscious green lawn, stroll from play to play, invent your own stories at the puppet playground, and enjoy the summer!

The second door leads to a fresh breeze of youth. We open it for students of puppetry and animation newcomes to give them a stage to show their art during the 1st Festival for Young Animation, taking place during 22-24 of June. We invited 30 young artists from 7 different nations. With this new impuls, Wels consolidates its reputation as the hub of puppetry and animation art.

Dear audience, I hope we can play our way into your hearts again with this year's programme. We are looking forward to seeing you - at the theatre, on the lawn or in the street. Enjoy browsing through this year’s programme. The doors are open, come on in!

Gerti Tröbinger and the festival team