Octavian Saiu, Matei Vișniec, Ionuț Sociu and Emil Hurezeanu in Conversation with Leading International Artists at FITS 2026 Special Conferences

This year once again, the Sibiu International Theatre Festival offers audiences the opportunity to meet dozens of remarkable figures from the international cultural scene through its Special Conferences.

A total of 23 Special Conferences will take place throughout the ten days of FITS, most of them moderated by theatre critic Octavian Saiu, playwright Matei Vișniec, and playwright and journalist Ionuț Sociu.

Throughout the Festival, Octavian Saiu will be in conversation with Cristian Măcelaru, Gigi Căciuleanu, Silviu Purcărete, Wim Vandekeybus, Ofelia Popii, Cristian Mungiu, Lemi Ponifasio, Milo Rau and Akihiro Yamamoto.

Matei Vișniec will host conversations with Luk Perceval, Marcel Iureș and Alexandru Dabija, Israel Galván and Mohamed El Khatib, as well as Fanny Ardant. Meanwhile, Ionuț Sociu will moderate discussions with Dragoș Buhagiar, Velica Panduru, Philip Bussmann, Cathy Haase, Miguel Gane, and the panel marking the Ibsen 200 anniversary, featuring Hege Knarvik Sande, Jan Koslowski, Chris Simion-Mercurian, Kathrine Nedrejord and Ovio Olaru.

Admission to all FITS Special Conferences is free, subject to venue capacity.

"Every year we strive to expand this conference programme because the outstanding artists who come to Sibiu deserve to be discovered in ways that go beyond the performances they create or appear in. These meetings offer a unique opportunity to glimpse the SOUL of every artist who honours us with their presence. And we offer this gift free of charge, subject to availability. For many people, this may be the only opportunity to engage directly with international artists such as Fanny Ardant, Milo Rau, Luk Perceval, Wim Vandekeybus, Lemi Ponifasio, Israel Galván, Mohamed El Khatib, Cathy Haase and Akihiro Yamamoto, as well as Romanian artists including Cristian Măcelaru, Silviu Purcărete, Gigi Căciuleanu, Cristian Mungiu, Ofelia Popii, Miguel Gane and Dragoș Buhagiar," said Constantin Chiriac, President of FITS.

Fanny Ardant, Milo Rau, Luk Perceval, Cristian Mungiu and Cristian Măcelaru Among the Special Guests

On Saturday, 20 June, the Special Conferences begin at 11:00 a.m. with Cristian Măcelaru in conversation with Octavian Saiu at the Hall of Mirrors of the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania. The event will be held in Romanian with English interpretation and is open to the public free of charge, subject to venue capacity.

At 2:00 p.m., also at the Hall of Mirrors, Matei Vișniec will be in conversation with director Luk Perceval. The conference will be held in English and French, with Romanian interpretation.

The day's final conferences begin at 4:00 p.m. Dan Perjovschi will be joined by Ștefania Ferchedau, Florin Fâra and Răzvan Pop at the Hall of Mirrors, while Father Constantin Necula will deliver the lecture The Soul of the Mother at the Holy Trinity Metropolitan Cathedral.

On Sunday, 21 June, at 12:00 p.m., Gigi Căciuleanu will be in conversation with Octavian Saiu at the Hall of Mirrors. The event will be held in Romanian with English interpretation. At 2:00 p.m., Ionuț Sociu will moderate a discussion with Dragoș Buhagiar, Velica Panduru and Philip Bussmann.

On Monday, 22 June, the conference programme begins at 12:00 p.m. with Silviu Purcărete in conversation with Octavian Saiu. At 2:00 p.m., Ionuț Sociu will speak with Cathy Haase and Cosmin Chivu about The Art of Film Acting.

On Tuesday, 23 June, Wim Vandekeybus will be in conversation with Octavian Saiu at 12:00 p.m., followed at 2:00 p.m. by Ionuț Sociu's conversation with poet Miguel Gane.

On Wednesday, 24 June, Matei Vișniec will welcome Marcel Iureș and Alexandru Dabija at 12:00 p.m., followed at 2:00 p.m. by Ofelia Popii in conversation with Octavian Saiu. Both events take place at the Hall of Mirrors.

On Thursday, 25 June, the programme continues at the Hall of Mirrors with the conference IBSEN 200 – Art as a Reactionary Force at 12:00 p.m., featuring Hege Knarvik Sande, Jan Koslowski, Chris Simion-Mercurian, Kathrine Nedrejord and Ovio Olaru in conversation with Ionuț Sociu. At 2:00 p.m., director Cristian Mungiu will be in conversation with Octavian Saiu.

On Friday, 26 June, at 12:00 p.m., Matei Vișniec will host Israel Galván and Mohamed El Khatib. At 2:00 p.m., Lemi Ponifasio will be in conversation with Octavian Saiu. The event will be held in English with Romanian interpretation.

On Saturday, 27 June, at 12:00 p.m., Milo Rau will join Octavian Saiu for a Special Conference open to the general public. At 2:00 p.m., Matei Vișniec will be in conversation with actress Fanny Ardant. The event will be held in French with English and Romanian interpretation.

Also on Saturday, beginning at 4:00 p.m., Professor Franco Moretti will join researchers Andrei Terian and Ovio Olaru for a discussion at the Hall of Mirrors. At the same time, Father Constantin Necula will present the lecture The Soul of the Father at the Holy Trinity Metropolitan Cathedral.

On Sunday, 28 June, the programme opens at 12:00 p.m. with Akihiro Yamamoto in conversation with Octavian Saiu at the Hall of Mirrors. At 1:00 p.m., painter Ștefan Câlția, theatre director Silviu Purcărete and composer Vasile Șirli will join writer and diplomat Emil Hurezeanu for a special conversation.

Sibiu Performing Arts Market Conferences – Meeting the World's Leading Arts Professionals

Another important conference programme is organised within the Sibiu Performing Arts Market (SIPAM). Between 22 and 25 June, audiences will have the opportunity to attend discussions with internationally renowned cultural leaders, including Lisa Richards Toney, President and CEO of the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP), David Baile, CEO of the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA), and Roy Luxford, Creative Director of the Edinburgh International Festival.

The Sibiu Performing Arts Market conferences take place in the Faust Hall of the MyContinental Hotel. Admission is by prior registration.

Cultural Conversations – A New Podcast Hosted by Mihaela Dedeoglu and Anthony Sargent

This year, the Cultural Conversations series organised within the Sibiu Performing Arts Market becomes a podcast. Hosted by Mihaela Dedeoglu and Anthony Sargent, the interview series—associated with the Sibiu International Theatre Festival—brings together artists and international cultural leaders every day between 20 and 26 June (4:00–5:30 p.m.) for conversations exploring the challenges and opportunities facing the contemporary performing arts.

The discussions will be recorded in both audio and video formats and later released as podcast episodes on the SIPAM and Scena Digitală platforms. They will also be transcribed and published in a volume to be launched at the next Festival edition, creating a valuable archive documenting the ideas of some of today's leading cultural figures while encouraging international cultural dialogue.

Circostrada General Assembly Comes to Sibiu for the First Time

This year, Sibiu will host, for the first time, the General Assembly of Circostrada, the European network dedicated to contemporary circus and outdoor performing arts.

The programme includes a series of conferences held at the Ramada Hotel, organised in collaboration with the Sibiu Performing Arts Market.

This year's edition of the Sibiu International Theatre Festival, held under the theme SOUL, takes place from 19 to 28 June and features more than 848 indoor, outdoor and online events.

More information about the FITS 2026 programme is available at sibfest.ro and through the official FITS mobile application.