The jury selection of the 2026 International Nisville Jazz THEATER Festival presents six performances united by strong social engagement, contemporary theatrical expression, and the powerful use of music as an essential dramatic element. The selected productions explore some of the most urgent political, social, and existential issues of today’s world through innovative stage languages and multidisciplinary forms.

The first performance“Roads Between Horizons”” , by HLEB Teatar , Serbia in collaboration with Horto Festival, Greece will be perform on August 8th at 8:30 PM, Amphitheatre by the river Nishava. It is a contemporary theatre performance that explores the universal human need for travel, finding refuge, and discovering new possibilities. Weaving together real and imagined journeys of migrants, the piece examines the fragile balance between danger and protection in wilderness environments and human societies. At its heart lies a question: how do we create pathways of safety, dignity, and hope for those who move through the world in search of a better future? Their journeys unfold as personal quests marked by encounters with strangers, natural forces, and their own fears. The performance explores how migration reshapes identity and how the search for home often becomes a search for oneself.

The Italian company ErosAntEros will perform on August 8, 2026 at 10PM will be perform on the scene Belgradian Gate in the Fortress, as the second show of the festival's opening night will beOn the Difficulty of Telling the Truth”. It is based on Bertolt Brecht’s literary-political essay “Writing the Truth: Five Difficulties”, written in 1934. Through Brecht’s reflections on truth, courage, and political responsibility, the production creates a powerful dialogue between historical and contemporary forms of censorship, manipulation, and resistance.

The third performance “Dark Blue Shadows”, of Zlatni elec, North Macedonia will be performed on August 9th at 8:30 PM will be perform on Amphitheatre by the river Nisava . Performance is based on a text by Bryan Reynolds, opens questions about how modern media poison society with false values, how pharmaceutical industries and large corporations exploit human fear for greater profit, and how individuals become both victims and products of a sick social machine.

The fourth one will perform, on 9th of August 22PM on the scene Belgradian Gate in the Fortress, production “Fun Facts”, musical group Vrooom, Serbia. It is an electronic-rock musical performance focused on contemporary social phenomena, exploring alienation, consumerism, digital reality, and the emotional fragmentation of modern life through an intense fusion of music, movement, and visual performance.

The fifth performance “Interiors-MRAČNA VREMENA”, of musical group Star Wound and Contra dance Teater, co-production of Greece and Serbia based on the poetry of Bertolt Brecht and poems of contemporary American poets, confronts the reality that people across almost all continents are once again facing wars and ruthless struggles for capital. Exploring the inner unrest of the individual, this concert-performance offers a raw and empathetic insight into the invisible battles of human beings, inviting the audience to dive into their own inner world.

The sixth performance, directed by András Urbán, “Cabaret Piccolo Grande – UTOPIA”, ”, by the Novi Sad Theatre (Újvidéki Színház) , will be performed on August 10 at 10:00 PM on the Belgrade Gate Stage at the Fortress. The performance is a stage-and-music reminder of a better life, inspired by the text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Combining cabaret aesthetics, music, irony, and political theatre, the performance questions whether the ideals of human rights and solidarity are still possible in today’s world.

Together, these six productions create a festival program that reflects contemporary global anxieties while insisting on theatre as a space of resistance, critical thought, empathy, and collective imagination.

As part of the OFF-OFF program, the audience will have the opportunity to see an original project by artist that are coming -Lazar Tirić and a group of dance and acting performers — the choreodrama “The Plough Tree of Lazar” on August 11th at 10:00 PM on the Belgrade Gate Stage at the Fortress. The performance explores the coming-of-age of a young person through complex family relationships and the confrontation with the tragic loss of a mother. The story examines the transformation of a traditional home which, after the death of the maternal figure, becomes a space of inner struggle, trauma, and resistance to violence.

The program also includes activities for children, with the aim of developing new audiences and encouraging the creative expression of younger generations.

Through the presentation of the local PEPINO Theater, we aim to present and support local independent artistic groups and actively contribute to the decentralization of the contemporary theatre scene.

During the festival, we are also organizing: A theatre workshop - Nisville project in development,in collaboration with Artspot Productions from New Orleans, USA.

13-21.8.2025 starting from 10AM-3PM Officer's home