“The principles of MITEM have remained unchanged since its launch: we run an open theatre festival where genuine dialogue is realized, connections are formed, and open, courageous debates take place. European festivals are becoming increasingly exclusionary and single-minded, while diversity is the defining feature of our event,” emphasized Attila Vidnyánszky, founder of MITEM and CEO of the National Theatre of Hungary, at a press conference held in Budapest on Wednesday.

As he explained, they have long been working in close cooperation with, among others, the National Theatre Bucharest, the Serbian National Theatre, the Plovdiv Drama Theatre, and the Košice National Theatre. According to Vidnyánszky, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find theatre productions in Western Europe, as “theatres are slowly turning into political battlegrounds.”

The CEO also noted that this year’s MITEM will again provide space for many theatrical languages, including more traditional, alternative, and path-seeking approaches. “At the festival, we will commemorate the recently deceased French director Valère Novarina, who was a great admirer of Hungarian culture,” he said.

At the press conference, Irén Novák, Deputy State Secretary for Art and Community Culture at the Ministry of Culture and Innovation of Hungary, said that outstanding and influential professionals from the theatre world come to MITEM year after year, which shows that the work taking place here is highly regarded abroad.

“The National Theatre plays an extremely important role in Hungary’s cultural life. We are pleased to see, in connection with MITEM, the emerging activities of the World Federation of National Theatres, since we Hungarians truly know what it means to live as a minority,” Irén Novák remarked.

The secretary of the World Federation of National Theatres, Kirill Fokin, said that MITEM will feature a special performance block with the participation of, among others, Tatar, Scottish, Catalan, Frisian, and North Macedonian Turkish companies.

MITEM’s chief organizer, Edit Ágota Kulcsár, highlighted that the festival opens with Shakespeare’s Richard III, performed by the Harag György Company of the Northern Theatre of Satu Mare (director: István Albu), and it will also close with this play, as on the final evening the Gesher Theatre will present its own interpretation.

On April 13, audiences can see The Thought Characters, directed by Valère Novarina and performed by the French La Colline – Théâtre National. Diana Dobreva and the Plovdiv Drama Theatre return with the production Oedipus and the Prophets.

“The National Theatre in Bucharest will present Mary Stuart, directed by Andrei Șerban, which recently received two awards at the Romanian Theatre Union’s ceremony. The Galiaskar Kamal Kazan State Tatar Theatre will present My Soul Is Corn. Audiences can see Canary Paprikash directed by János Feledi, performed by the Feledi Project – Asterion Project,” listed the chief organizer.

The ministerial commissioner of the Hungarian–Serbian cultural season, Milán Rusz, said that the play Play with Me! by Tamás Oláh, Márta Béres, and Andrej Boka will be performed at MITEM by the Subotica Children’s Theatre in both Serbian and Hungarian. The Belgrade National Theatre will also be introduced with The Imaginary Invalid, the Subotica People’s Theatre will arrive with its production Aquarium, and negotiations are underway regarding a performance by the Novi Sad Theatre.

MTI

Photo credit: Zsolt Eöri Szabó 

(18 February 2026)